Narrative Hearsay with Participles
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use the past active participle to report what someone else said without needing a 'kad' (that) clause.
- Drop the 'kad' and use the past active participle (e.g., -ęs, -usi).
- The subject of the reported action becomes the subject of the sentence.
- Ensure the participle matches the gender and number of the reported speaker.
Participle Agreement Table
| Gender | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
|
Masculine
|
-ęs
|
-ę
|
|
Feminine
|
-usi
|
-usios
|
Meanings
This construction allows a speaker to report information or events heard from others, emphasizing the hearsay nature of the claim.
Reported hearsay
Attributing an action or state to someone else based on rumor or report.
“Jis esąs girdėjęs apie tai.”
“Ji sakoma išvykusi į užsienį.”
Subjective perception
Expressing a belief about someone's state.
“Jis atrodo pavargęs.”
“Jie laikomi atlikusiais darbą.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + Participle
|
Jis dirbęs.
|
|
Negative
|
Subject + ne + Participle
|
Jis nedirbęs.
|
|
Hearsay
|
Subject + esą + Participle
|
Jis esą dirbęs.
|
|
Plural
|
Subject + Plural Participle
|
Jie dirbę.
|
|
Feminine
|
Subject + Fem Participle
|
Ji dirbusi.
|
|
Question
|
Ar + Subject + Participle?
|
Ar jis dirbęs?
|
Espectro de formalidade
Teigiama, jog jis atvykęs. (News/Gossip)
Jis esą atvykęs. (News/Gossip)
Girdėjau, jis atvykęs. (News/Gossip)
Sako, atvažiavo. (News/Gossip)
Hearsay Flow
Source
- Girdėjau I heard
Target
- Jis He
Exemplos por nível
Jis esąs geras.
He is said to be good.
Ji esanti namuose.
She is said to be at home.
Jie esą atvykę vakar.
They are said to have arrived yesterday.
Girdėjau, jis esąs parašęs knygą.
I heard he is said to have written a book.
Manoma, jog jie esą atlikę visus darbus.
It is believed that they have completed all tasks.
Teigiama, jog šis įstatymas esąs priimtas neteisėtai.
It is claimed that this law was passed illegally.
Fácil de confundir
Learners mix them up because both report speech.
Learners use the wrong voice.
Learners use the wrong tense.
Erros comuns
Jis sakė dirbęs.
Jis sakė, kad dirbo.
Ji dirbęs.
Ji dirbusi.
Jie dirbęs.
Jie dirbę.
Jis esąs dirbęs.
Jis esą dirbęs.
Jie esąs atvažiavę.
Jie esą atvažiavę.
Ji esą atvažiavę.
Ji esanti atvažiavusi.
Jis esąs atvažiavę.
Jis esąs atvažiavęs.
Jie sakė esantys atvažiavę.
Jie sakė esą atvažiavę.
Jis manomas atvažiavęs.
Jis manomas atvažiavęs (correct, but check context).
Ji esanti atvažiavę.
Ji esanti atvažiavusi.
Teigiama, kad jis esąs atvažiavęs.
Teigiama, jog jis esąs atvažiavęs.
Jis esąs atvažiavęs vakar.
Jis esąs atvažiavęs (vakar is implied).
Jie esą atvažiavę, bet nebuvo.
Jie esą atvažiavę, bet nebuvo (correct).
Ji esanti atvažiavusi, sako jie.
Sako, ji esanti atvažiavusi.
Padrões de frases
Jis ___ (participle) ___.
Ji ___ (participle) ___.
Jie ___ (participle) ___.
Manoma, jog jis ___ (participle) ___.
Real World Usage
Įtariamasis esąs pabėgęs.
Jis esąs vedęs.
Projektas esąs baigtas.
Traukinys esąs vėluojantis.
Girdėjau, esąs geras.
Ši teorija esanti pripažinta.
Use 'esą'
Gender matters
Keep it concise
Be polite
Smart Tips
Use 'esą' to sound like a journalist.
Use the participle to distance yourself.
Use it to cite sources.
Use it to hedge.
Pronúncia
Participle endings
Ensure the 's' and 'i' sounds are clear.
Falling
Jis esą atvykęs ↘
Finality of the report.
Memorize
Mnemônico
Think of 'esą' as 'I say' (phonetically similar).
Associação visual
Imagine a telephone wire connecting two people, with the participle hanging on the wire like a laundry item.
Rhyme
If you heard it from a friend, use a participle at the end.
Story
Jonas told me he worked. I say: 'Jonas dirbęs'. Now everyone knows it's just a rumor.
Word Web
Desafio
Find one news headline today and rewrite it using a participle structure.
Notas culturais
Lithuanians use this to avoid direct confrontation in gossip.
Used in papers to cite common knowledge.
Standard for reporting unverified claims.
Derived from ancient Baltic participle systems.
Iniciadores de conversa
Ar girdėjai, kad jis esąs išvykęs?
Ką manai apie tai, kad ji esanti atlikusi darbą?
Ar tiesa, kad jie esą atvažiavę?
Kaip manai, kodėl jis esąs taip pasielgęs?
Temas para diário
Erros comuns
Test Yourself
Jis ___ (atvykti) vakar.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Jie esąs atvykę.
Jis sakė, kad dirbo. ->
Participles in hearsay must agree in gender.
A: Ar jis atvyko? B: Girdėjau, jis ___.
Jis / esą / atvykęs
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
Exercicios praticos
8 exercisesJis ___ (atvykti) vakar.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Jie esąs atvykę.
Jis sakė, kad dirbo. ->
Participles in hearsay must agree in gender.
A: Ar jis atvyko? B: Girdėjau, jis ___.
Jis / esą / atvykęs
Match: Jis / Ji
Score: /8
Perguntas frequentes (8)
It is more concise and sounds more professional.
Yes, but it changes the participle form.
Yes, it is often used in formal reports.
It will sound incorrect to a native speaker.
Yes, for gossip.
Most verbs work, but some are rare.
It adds a layer of hearsay.
It takes practice to get the agreement right.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Se dice que...
Lithuanian uses a participle, Spanish uses a verb phrase.
On dit que...
Lithuanian is more concise.
Konjunktiv I
German changes the verb mood, Lithuanian changes the verb form.
~sou desu
Lithuanian is more integrated.
Qila anna...
Arabic is a passive verb, Lithuanian is a participle.
Ting shuo...
Chinese is a separate clause.
