Meaning
To give up or stop trying.
Cultural Background
Perseverance is a national virtue. The phrase is often used in the context of the 'Lithuanian spirit' of surviving hardships. In Lithuanian basketball, 'nuleisti rankas' is the ultimate sin for a player or team. In modern startups in Vilnius, this phrase is used to encourage resilience during 'crunch' periods. Teachers use this constantly to motivate students struggling with the complex Lithuanian grammar.
Use it for motivation
It's the most natural way to encourage someone in Lithuanian. 'Nenuleisk rankų' sounds much more native than 'nepasiduok'.
Watch the case
Remember: 'Nenuleisk rankų' (Genitive) but 'Jis nuleido rankas' (Accusative).
Meaning
To give up or stop trying.
Use it for motivation
It's the most natural way to encourage someone in Lithuanian. 'Nenuleisk rankų' sounds much more native than 'nepasiduok'.
Watch the case
Remember: 'Nenuleisk rankų' (Genitive) but 'Jis nuleido rankas' (Accusative).
Combine with 'tikėti'
A common pairing is 'tikėti savimi ir nenuleisti rankų' (to believe in oneself and not give up).
Test Yourself
Fill in the missing word in the correct form.
Nors buvo sunku, mes ne______ rankų.
The sentence uses 'mes' (we), so the verb must be in the first-person plural past tense.
Which sentence is a correct motivational phrase?
Select the correct option:
In negative imperatives, 'rankas' changes to the genitive plural 'rankų'.
Match the situation to the phrase.
Jonas stops studying for his exam because he is tired.
'Nuleido rankas' means he gave up on his goal.
🎉 Score: /3
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
3 exercisesNors buvo sunku, mes ne______ rankų.
The sentence uses 'mes' (we), so the verb must be in the first-person plural past tense.
Select the correct option:
In negative imperatives, 'rankas' changes to the genitive plural 'rankų'.
Jonas stops studying for his exam because he is tired.
'Nuleido rankas' means he gave up on his goal.
🎉 Score: /3
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsIt is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.
No, the idiom always uses the plural 'rankas'.
The opposite would be 'kovoti iki galo' (to fight until the end) or 'nenuleisti rankų'.
Yes, but 'nuleisti rankas' is more idiomatic and often implies a loss of hope.
Yes, 'Jis nuleido rankas' is very common to describe a past failure.
Yes, to describe stopping a project or giving up on a deal.
Use the plural imperative: 'Nenuleiskite rankų!'
Younger people might just say 'pasiduodu' or use English 'quitinu'.
Usually no, it describes a negative outcome (giving up).
Because hands are the primary tools for work and defense; lowering them means stopping the work.
Related Phrases
pasiduoti
synonymTo surrender or give up.
nukabinti nosį
similarTo be sad or discouraged.
sukąsti dantis
contrastTo grit one's teeth and keep going.
mesti kelią dėl takelio
similarTo abandon a good path for a shortcut.
