Pilnas

Pilnas is a Lithuanian adjective meaning “full” or “complete.” It describes a state in which something contains as much as possible or is entirely occupied by something. The word agrees with the noun it modifies in gender and number and is used in both literal and figurative contexts. In many constructions, pilnas is followed by a genitive object to specify what it is full of.

Typical usage includes phrases such as dėžė pilna vandens (the box is full of water) and kaminas pilnas dūmų (the chimney is full of smoke). In feminine form it appears as pilna, for example, dėžė pilna vandens can be heard with feminine nouns, while masculine forms like pilnas are used with masculine nouns. The sense can be extended metaphorically as well, for instance laikas pilnas galimybių (time full of opportunities) or žmogus pilnas energijos (a person full of energy).

Pilnas often coexists with the genitive to indicate the content or quality filling the subject, rather than describing the noun itself. This makes it a common choice for both descriptive statements and figurative expressions. Its antonym is tuščias, meaning “empty,” used in parallel contexts such as tuščias dėžė (an empty box) or tuščias laikas (an empty time).

Etymology: linguists generally relate pilnas to a Baltic root meaning “full” and treat it as part of the oldest Baltic adjective stock that denotes fullness or completeness. It remains a standard, widely used term in contemporary Lithuanian, adaptable to a broad range of concrete and abstract meanings.