tu man patinki
The Lithuanian phrase for "I like you" is tu man patinki.
This phrase is used to express that you like or are fond of someone. It is important to distinguish this from aš tave myliu, which expresses romantic love.
Meaning: I like you (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase tu man patinki literally translates to "you to me are pleasing". The word man is the dative form of "I", meaning "to me", indicating the feeling is directed toward the speaker.
Which one should you use?
While tu man patinki is a way to say you like someone, you should use aš tave myliu if you want to say "I love you" in a romantic sense.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase tu man patinki, the verb patinka is used in the third person singular because the person being liked acts as the grammatical subject.
Did you know?
- The word tu is a direct ancient relative of the English word 'thou', both descending from the same Proto-Indo-European root.
- Using myliu instead of patinka too early in a relationship can be perceived as being overwhelmingly intense or even scary.
- While tu man patinki is fond, Lithuanians might use the word simpatizuoju to express a more intellectual or social 'liking' or 'sympathy' toward someone.
Examples in context
- Tu esi keista, tu man patinki.You're weird – I like you.This sentence uses tu man patinki to express liking someone despite them being weird.Tatoeba #3604394 by asveja, translation #810337 by BraveSentry
- Tu man patinki.I like you.
- Žinai, kad tu man patinki?Do you know that I like you?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Tomas and Austėja are walking in a park.
- TomasAustėja, tu man patinki.Austėja, I like you.
- AustėjaTikrai? Tu man taip pat patinki.Really? I like you too.
- TomasAr norėtum kada nors eiti kartu?Would you like to go out sometime?
- AustėjaTaip, labai norėčiau!Yes, I would love to!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I like you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
