Dirbti biure
To work in an office
Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use 'Dirbti biure' to describe having a professional, white-collar job located in a physical office building.
- Means: To work in an office environment.
- Used in: Job interviews, small talk, and describing daily routines.
- Don't confuse: 'Dirbti biure' (location) with 'Dirbti biurui' (working for a company).
Explanation at your level:
معنی
Having an office-based job.
زمینه فرهنگی
In Lithuania, office culture is very coffee-centric. 'Eiti kavos' (to go for coffee) is the primary way colleagues bond in the office. Many modern offices in Vilnius are 'pet-friendly'. It is not uncommon to see dogs in the office, which is a relatively new trend. When working in an office, it is polite to say 'Skanaus!' (Enjoy your meal!) to colleagues who are eating lunch in the common area. Lithuanians value their summers. In July and August, many offices are half-empty as people take long vacations to the seaside (Palanga/Nida).
The Locative Rule
Remember that almost all locations in Lithuanian end in '-e' when you are 'in' them. Biuras -> Biure, Vilnius -> Vilniuje.
Don't say 'Ofise' in formal letters
While everyone says 'ofise' in conversation, use 'biure' in your CV or formal emails to sound more professional.
معنی
Having an office-based job.
The Locative Rule
Remember that almost all locations in Lithuanian end in '-e' when you are 'in' them. Biuras -> Biure, Vilnius -> Vilniuje.
Don't say 'Ofise' in formal letters
While everyone says 'ofise' in conversation, use 'biure' in your CV or formal emails to sound more professional.
Use with 'iš namų'
To sound like a native, learn the pair: 'dirbti biure' vs 'dirbti iš namų'. This is the most common way to discuss work today.
The 'Kava' Connection
If you say you work in an office, people might ask 'Ar gera kava?' (Is the coffee good?). It's a standard small-talk follow-up.
خودت رو بسنج
Fill in the correct form of the word 'biuras'.
Mano tėtis dirba ____.
We use the locative case (-e) to show where someone works.
Choose the correct verb form for 'Aš'.
Aš ____ biure.
'Aš' (I) always takes the '-u' ending in the present tense for this verb.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Ar tu dirbi biure? B: Ne, aš ____ iš namų.
The speaker is talking about themselves (I work).
Match the phrase to the situation.
You are at a party and someone asks what you do for a living.
This is the standard way to describe your employment type/location.
🎉 امتیاز: /4
ابزارهای بصری یادگیری
Work Locations
سوالات متداول
12 سوالYes, it is very common in casual speech, but 'biure' is the standard, more formal term.
'Biuras' is modern and neutral. 'Kontora' is old-fashioned and can sometimes sound like a boring, bureaucratic place.
You say 'Aš einu į biurą'. Note the change from 'biure' (location) to 'biurą' (direction).
Mostly, yes. It implies desk work, computer work, or administrative tasks.
No, Lithuanian does not have articles. 'Dirbti biure' covers both 'work in an office' and 'work in the office'.
Aš dirbu dideliame biure. The adjective 'dideliame' must also be in the locative case.
It is always 'biure' for the location. 'Biurą' is only for movement or direct objects.
Usually no. For a home office, you would say 'dirbti iš namų' or 'dirbti savo darbo kambaryje'.
The plural is 'dirbti biuruose' (to work in offices).
It is masculine, which is why it ends in '-as' in the dictionary form.
Vadybininkas (manager) or administratorius (administrator).
Aš nekenčiu dirbti biure.
عبارات مرتبط
Dirbti iš namų
contrastTo work from home
Dirbti nuotoliu
similarTo work remotely
Biuro darbuotojas
builds onOffice worker
Atviro plano biuras
specialized formOpen-plan office
Eiti į darbą
similarTo go to work
کجا استفاده کنیم
Job Interview
Interviewer: Ar jums patinka dirbti biure, ar iš namų?
Candidate: Man patinka dirbti biure, nes mėgstu bendrauti.
Meeting a New Friend
Aistė: Ką tu veiki gyvenime?
Tomas: Aš dirbu biure, esu programuotojas.
On the Phone
Mama: Labas, kur tu dabar?
Sūnus: Labas, aš dar dirbu biure. Grįšiu vėliau.
Complaining about Routine
Lukas: Pavargau visą dieną dirbti biure.
Mantas: Eime į lauką pasivaikščioti.
Discussing Hybrid Work
Kolega: Kada tu dirbi biure?
Kolegė: Aš dirbu biure pirmadieniais ir trečiadieniais.
First Day at Work
Manager: Sveiki atvykę! Čia jūsų vieta dirbti biure.
New Hire: Ačiū, labai gražus biuras.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Dirbti' as 'Doing' and 'Biure' as 'Bureau'. You are 'Doing' work in your 'Bureau'.
Visual Association
Imagine a person sitting at a desk with a computer and a cup of coffee. The desk is inside a glass box (the office). The word 'BIURE' is written in neon lights on the glass.
Rhyme
Dirbu biure - kava puodelyje. (I work in the office - coffee in the cup.)
Story
Darius is a developer. Every morning, he puts on his shirt and says 'Aš einu dirbti biure'. He likes the office because he can talk to his friends. When he is there, he says 'Aš esu biure'.
Word Web
چالش
Try to describe your dream office using three adjectives and the phrase 'dirbti biure'. For example: 'Aš noriu dirbti dideliame, šviesiame ir moderniame biure.'
In Other Languages
Trabajar en la oficina
Lithuanian uses a noun ending (-e) instead of the preposition 'en'.
Travailler dans un bureau
French uses the preposition 'dans' and an article 'un', which Lithuanian lacks.
Im Büro arbeiten
Word order in German often places 'arbeiten' at the end of the clause.
オフィスで働く (Ofisu de hataraku)
Japanese is SOV (Subject-Object-Verb), so the verb 'hataraku' comes last.
العمل في مكتب (Al-amal fi maktab)
Arabic uses a definite article 'Al-' which Lithuanian does not have.
在办公室工作 (Zài bàngōngshì gōngzuò)
Chinese does not have verb conjugations or noun cases.
사무실에서 일하다 (Samusireseo ilhada)
Korean uses honorifics which change the verb 'ilhada' depending on who you are talking to.
Trabalhar num escritório
Portuguese requires the contraction of the preposition and the article.
Easily Confused
Learners mix up the locative 'biure' (in) with the dative 'biurui' (for).
Use 'biure' for the building and 'biurui' if you are doing a task for the office as an entity.
Both mean working in a room, but 'kabinetas' is a private office/study.
Use 'biure' for the whole building/company space, and 'kabinete' for a specific private room.
سوالات متداول (12)
Yes, it is very common in casual speech, but 'biure' is the standard, more formal term.
'Biuras' is modern and neutral. 'Kontora' is old-fashioned and can sometimes sound like a boring, bureaucratic place.
You say 'Aš einu į biurą'. Note the change from 'biure' (location) to 'biurą' (direction).
Mostly, yes. It implies desk work, computer work, or administrative tasks.
No, Lithuanian does not have articles. 'Dirbti biure' covers both 'work in an office' and 'work in the office'.
Aš dirbu dideliame biure. The adjective 'dideliame' must also be in the locative case.
It is always 'biure' for the location. 'Biurą' is only for movement or direct objects.
Usually no. For a home office, you would say 'dirbti iš namų' or 'dirbti savo darbo kambaryje'.
The plural is 'dirbti biuruose' (to work in offices).
It is masculine, which is why it ends in '-as' in the dictionary form.
Vadybininkas (manager) or administratorius (administrator).
Aš nekenčiu dirbti biure.
