Significado
To think very hard about something.
Contexto cultural
Lithuanians value modesty and hard work. Saying you are 'breaking your head' is a humble way to admit something is hard while showing you are not giving up. In many Eastern European cultures, education is seen as a 'struggle' or 'battle.' Idioms about breaking or hitting the head against books are common. In the Lithuanian startup scene, this phrase is used in English-Lithuanian 'Pinglish' to describe the debugging process. In villages, the phrase might still carry a hint of its physical origins, used when trying to fix old machinery.
Use with 'dėl'
Always follow the phrase with 'dėl' and the genitive case to specify what you are thinking about.
Avoid 'sulaužyti'
Using the perfective 'sulaužyti' makes it sound like you are committing a violent act.
Significado
To think very hard about something.
Use with 'dėl'
Always follow the phrase with 'dėl' and the genitive case to specify what you are thinking about.
Avoid 'sulaužyti'
Using the perfective 'sulaužyti' makes it sound like you are committing a violent act.
The 'Puzzle' connection
If you see a puzzle in a shop, it's called a 'galvosūkis'. Remembering this helps you link 'head' and 'struggle'.
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the missing word in the correct form.
Aš visą vakarą ______ galvą dėl šio klausimo.
We need the past tense, imperfective form to show the process of thinking.
Which sentence is correct?
How do you say 'I am racking my brain'?
'Galvą' must be in the accusative case, and 'laužau' is the correct present tense form.
Match the situation to the phrase.
You are trying to solve a very hard Sudoku puzzle.
Solving a puzzle is the perfect time to use this idiom.
Complete the dialogue.
Marius: 'Ar žinai atsakymą?' Lina: 'Ne, vis dar ______.'
Both 'laužau galvą' and 'suku galvą' are appropriate here, though 'laužau' implies more effort.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosAš visą vakarą ______ galvą dėl šio klausimo.
We need the past tense, imperfective form to show the process of thinking.
How do you say 'I am racking my brain'?
'Galvą' must be in the accusative case, and 'laužau' is the correct present tense form.
You are trying to solve a very hard Sudoku puzzle.
Solving a puzzle is the perfect time to use this idiom.
Marius: 'Ar žinai atsakymą?' Lina: 'Ne, vis dar ______.'
Both 'laužau galvą' and 'suku galvą' are appropriate here, though 'laužau' implies more effort.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasNot at all. It is a very common, neutral idiom used in all levels of society.
Yes, you can say 'Jis laužo galvą' (He is racking his brain).
'Mąstyti' is just 'to think' or 'to meditate'. 'Laužyti galvą' implies a specific problem and a lot of effort.
Yes, 'laužyti smegenis' (to break the brains) is a more informal, slightly more modern variation.
Often, yes. It implies that the answer is hard to find, which can be frustrating.
Yes, very often during strategy meetings or problem-solving sessions.
Yes: 'Rytoj man teks laužyti galvą egzamine' (Tomorrow I will have to rack my brain in the exam).
Not really, but you can just say 'Laužau galvą' and people will understand you are busy thinking.
Yes, if you are trying to understand someone's behavior, you can 'laužyti galvą' over it.
They are about equally common, but 'sukti' is slightly more informal.
Frases relacionadas
Sukti galvą
similarTo worry or think about something constantly.
Pamesti galvą
contrastTo lose one's head (fall in love or go crazy).
Turėti galvą ant pečių
builds onTo have a head on one's shoulders (to be smart).
Galvosūkis
specialized formA puzzle or riddle.
