How to Say “Hello and Goodbye” in Lithuanian

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labas
/ˈɫɑ̌ːbɐs/
In Lithuanian, the phrase "hello and goodbye" can be expressed through various greetings and farewells, with labas being the most common way to say hello.
Labas means hello or hi. When you want to say goodbye, you can use viso gero, which translates to goodbye or all the best or iki pasimatymo, meaning until we meet again. A shorter way to say see you later is iki, which is a shortened version of iki pasimatymo.

Which one should you use?

While labas is a universal informal greeting, other options change based on the situation. For example, čiau is used specifically among younger people and friends to say hi or bye. For farewells, viso gero and iki pasimatymo serve different purposes, with the latter specifically meaning 'until we meet again'.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

Labas is an informal greeting used with friends, peers or people you know well. For a more casual vibe among younger generations, čiau is often used for both hi and bye.

How does it change in a sentence?

Although labas is technically the masculine singular form, it functions as a universal informal greeting regardless of the gender of the person you are addressing. If you wish to address a male specifically with a greeting related to health, you might use sveikas and for a female, you would use sveika.

How do you pronounce it?

/ˈɫɑ̌ːbɐs/

Did you know?

  • If you use the greeting sveikas or sveika, you are literally wishing the other person 'health' rather than just saying 'hello'.
  • The greeting labas shares a common linguistic root with the Latvian word labs and the Old Prussian labs.
  • The phrase viso gero is a way to say goodbye that literally means 'of all the good'.

Examples in context

  • Tai, viso gero!
    Well then, goodbye!
  • Viso gero!
    Goodbye!
  • Labas, kaip laikai?
    Hello, how are you?
  • Labas, džiaugiuosi tave matydama.
    Hello, I am happy to see you.
  • Labas, iki susitikimo!
    Hello, see you later!

Example conversation

Austėja and Lukas meet by chance on the street.

  1. Austėja

    Labas, Luka!
    Hello, Lukas!
  2. Lukas

    Labas, Austėja! Ką girdėti?
    Hello, Austėja! What's new?
  3. Austėja

    Viskas gerai, bet aš vėlu.
    Everything is fine, but I am late.
  4. Lukas

    Sutikau, labas!
    I understand, bye!

Sources

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Lillian Sherry
Lillian SherryHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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