senelis
[sʲɛ²ˈnʲæːlʲɪs]masculine
The Lithuanian word for grandfather is senelis.
senelis is a masculine noun used to refer to a grandfather from either the maternal or paternal side of a family.
Meaning: grandfather (from either side) (noun)
Which one should you use?
While senelis refers to a grandfather, the feminine form senelė is used to mean grandmother.
How does it change in a sentence?
In a sentence, the form of the word may change: use the genitive case senelio to say "grandfather's" and the dative case seneliui to say "to grandfather".
Did you know?
- In Lithuanian folk songs and fairy tales, the word senelis often appears as a personification of Father Time or an ancient, wise figure rather than just a human relative.
- Lithuanian has a specific word seneliai which refers to 'grandparents' as a pair, but it is also used poetically to refer to 'ancestors' from many generations ago.
- Because senelis is derived from a word meaning 'old', using it in certain contexts can occasionally sound more like you are describing a person's age rather than their specific familial role.
Examples in context
- Mano senelis augina antis.My grandfather raises ducks.This sentence shows how to use senelis when discussing a grandfather's activities.Tatoeba #868223 by Sonix, translation #868229 by Sonix
- Mano senelis negali vaikščioti be savo lazdos.My grandfather can't walk without his cane.This sentence uses senelis to describe a grandfather's physical needs.Tatoeba #2167334 by Nezinia, translation #1138297 by CM
- Mano senelis gyveno iki devyniasdešimt devynerių.My grandfather lived to be ninety-nine years old.This sentence uses senelis to state how long a grandfather lived.Tatoeba #632747 by fanty, translation #273860 by Scott
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Eglė and Tomas are looking at an old family photograph.
- EglėKas šis vyras nuotraukoje?Who is this man in the photo?
- TomasTai mano senelis.That is my grandfather.
- EglėJis atrodo labai mielas.He looks very sweet.
- TomasTaip, mano senelis buvo puikus žmogus.Yes, my grandfather was a wonderful person.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandfather” translations and entries senelis, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
