Skaitvardiais

Skaitvardiais is a Lithuanian term that translates to "numerals" or "cardinal numbers" in English. It refers to words that represent quantity or order. In the Lithuanian language, like many others, skaitvardiais are essential for counting, specifying amounts, and indicating position. They can be broadly categorized into cardinal numbers (how many) and ordinal numbers (which in order).

Cardinal skaitvardiais include words like "vienas" (one), "du" (two), "trys" (three), and so on, up to larger numbers. These are used to state the quantity of something. For instance, "trys obuoliai" means "three apples." Ordinal skaitvardiais, on the other hand, indicate position or rank. Examples include "pirmas" (first), "antras" (second), "trečias" (third), and so forth. An example of their use would be "pirma diena" meaning "the first day."

Skaitvardiais in Lithuanian also exhibit grammatical features such as gender and number agreement, particularly when they function as adjectives. This means their form can change depending on the noun they modify. For example, "vienas vyras" (one man - masculine singular) differs from "viena moteris" (one woman - feminine singular). Understanding and correctly using skaitvardiais is fundamental to speaking and writing Lithuanian accurately.