Ways to say it
| Lithuanian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| labas | /ˈɫɑ̌ːbɐs/ | |
| sveikas | informal | |
| sveiki | formal |
Lithuanian greetings range from the casual labas, which can be translated as 'Hi', to more specific time-based greetings like labas rytas (good morning) and labas vakaras (good evening).
What does it mean word for word?
The word labas literally means 'good' in its masculine singular form.
Which one should you use?
While labas is a neutral and informal way to say hello, the forms derived from sveikas function more like the sentiment 'be well' or 'be healthy'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Labas is used as an informal greeting with friends or peers. Sveiki is a formal and polite way to address people, particularly when speaking to a group.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the greeting derived from sveikas to address a woman, the form changes to sveika. The form sveiki is used when greeting a group of people or a man and a woman together.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɫɑ̌ːbɐs/
Did you know?
- The greeting sveikas likely evolved from a Proto-Indo-European term meaning 'one who goes or walks well'. Over time, this shifted from the ability to walk to being 'healthy' and then to a general greeting.
Examples in context
- Labas, Meg. Kaip tu?Hello, Meg. How are you?This sentence shows the use of labas in a greeting.Tatoeba #3313892 by asveja, translation #1003488 by wittleghoul
- Labas.Hello!Tatoeba #461317 by Wobbelle, translation #373330 by CK
- Sveikas, Tomai. Labas rytas.Hello, Tom. Good morning.Tatoeba #1597883 by fanty, translation #30314 by CM
- Laba diena, ponia Jurgaitiene.Good day, Mrs. Jurgaitiene.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mantas and Eglė meet at a cafe.
- MantasLabas, Egle! Koks oras šiandien.Hello, Eglė! What weather today.
- EglėLabas, Mantaie. Tikrai labai šlapia.Hello, Mantas. It is really very wet.
- MantasAr turi laiko kavai?Do you have time for coffee?
- EglėTaip, gerne.Yes, gladly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries labas, sveikas, sveiki, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries labas, sveikas, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
