What does it mean word for word?
The phrase labas, kaip sekasi? literally translates to "hi, how is it going?"
Which one should you use?
You may also hear the informal kaip tau sekasi? to mean "how are you?" or the informal kaip gyveni?, which translates to "how are you living?"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form labas, kaip sekasi? is informal and suitable for friends, family or peers. To express the same sentiment more formally, you can use Sveiki for "Hi" or "Hello" and kaip jums sekasi? for "how are you doing?" If you want to be more polite or formal when asking how someone is, you should use kaip laikotės? instead of kaip sekasi?
How does it change in a sentence?
The part kaip sekasi? uses an impersonal construction where sekasi is the third-person singular form of the verb sekti (to follow/to go), meaning "it is going".
When do people say it?
When someone asks you kaip sekasi?, a common response is gera, ačiū (good, thanks).
Did you know?
- Lithuanian is one of the most conservative living languages, meaning its structure and words like labas have remained closer to ancient Proto-Indo-European than most other European languages.
- While labas is the standard 'hi', the formal sveiki is derived from the adjective for 'healthy'.
- In Lithuanian, the verb sekti in kaip sekasi? means 'to follow', suggesting that the conversation is asking how things are following along.
Examples in context
- Sveiki, kaip jums sekasi?Hello, how are you?
- Labas, kaip tau sekasi?Hi, how are you?
Example conversation
Andrius and Rūta meet on the street.
- AndriusLabas, kaip sekasi?Hi, how are you?
- RūtaLabai gerai, ačiū!Very well, thanks!
- AndriusDžiugu girdėti.Glad to hear it.
- RūtaO tau?And you?
