idiotas
masculine
The English word "idiot" is translated into Lithuanian as idiotas. Wiktionary also lists idiotė and avigalvis.
Meaning: person of low general intelligence (noun)
Ways to say it
| Lithuanian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| idiotas | masculine | |
| idiotė | feminine | |
| avigalvis | masculine | |
| kvailys | [kʋɐɪ²ˈlʲiːs] (narrow) | masculine |
| durnius | masculine |
The various forms in Lithuanian are used to describe a person of low general intelligence.
Which one should you use?
While idiotas is a harsh insult, kvailys is a milder term often used to describe someone being foolish or silly. The term avigalvis is a more literary or archaic way to refer to a simpleton or an idiot.
How does it change in a sentence?
The gender of the word changes based on the person being described: idiotas is the masculine form and idiotė is the feminine form. Other masculine forms include avigalvis, kvailys and durnius.
Did you know?
- In Lithuanian, the word kvailys is often used affectionately between friends or toward children. This contrasts with idiotas, which is almost always intended as a genuine insult.
- The word durnius is the root of the common Lithuanian expression durnuoti, which means 'to fool around' or 'to act silly'.
- While idiotas is a harsh insult, the related adjective idiotiškas can be used to describe an absurd or surreal situation rather than a person's intelligence.
Examples in context
- Mūsų mokytoja tikra idiotė.Our teacher is a real idiot.This sentence is useful for using the feminine form idiotė.Tatoeba #3588789 by asveja, translation #1762636 by joyfie
- Tomas atrodys kaip idiotas.Tom will look like an idiot.This sentence is useful for using the masculine form idiotas.Tatoeba #5205016 by Zyberg, translation #5204254 by CK
- Jis elgiasi kaip tikras idiotas.He behaves like a real idiot.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Andrius and Austėja are talking about a clumsy coworker.
- AndriusAr matai, ką jis darys?Do you see what he is doing?
- AustėjaTaip, jis yra visiškas idiotas.Yes, he is a complete idiot.
- AndriusKaip jis gali tokiai klysti?How can he make such mistakes?
- AustėjaJis tiesiog nieko nesupras.He simply understands nothing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “idiot” translations and entries kvailys, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
