ar tau viskas gerai?
The English phrase "are you okay?" can be translated into Lithuanian as ar tau viskas gerai?
This question is used to ask if someone is feeling well or if they are in a safe situation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ar tau viskas gerai? is composed of the question particle ar, the dative pronoun tau (to you), the noun viskas (everything) and the adverb gerai (well/good). Literally, it means "is to you everything well?"
Which one should you use?
While ar tau viskas gerai? translates to "is everything okay with you?", the form ar tu gerai? specifically means "are you okay?" in an informal context.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use the polite or plural form of the phrase, replace the informal pronoun tau with the formal jums, as seen in Ar jums viskas gerai?
When do people say it?
A standard response to this question is taip, viskas gerai (yes, everything is fine/well).
Did you know?
- Lithuanian is one of the most conservative living languages, meaning the structure of this phrase retains features of Proto-Indo-European more closely than English does.
- The question particle ar shares a distant ancestor with the Ancient Greek word ἄρα, which is used to express logical consequences like 'then' or 'so'.
- While gerai means 'well', it is also used as a versatile conversational filler to mean 'okay', 'fine' or 'I agree' during a negotiation.
Examples in context
- Ar tau viskas gerai?Are you okay?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ar, gerai, viskas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
