dabartinis

Dabartinis is a Lithuanian adjective meaning present, current, or contemporary. It is used to describe things that pertain to the present moment or to the present state of affairs, and it can appear in both everyday speech and formal writing. In linguistic discussions, the term is sometimes linked to the present tense, referred to as dabartinis laikas, which describes actions occurring now.

The word is derived from the noun dabartis, meaning the present moment or current time. As with other Lithuanian adjectives, dabartinis forms its endings to agree with the gender and number of the noun it modifies. This means there are feminine, neuter, and plural variants that must align with the noun in a sentence. In practice, dabartinis is frequently used in phrases such as dabartinis laikotarpis (the present period), dabartinė problema (the current problem), and dabartinis laikas keisti politiką (the present time to change policy).

In usage, dabartinis carries a sense of immediacy or currency. It is commonly contrasted with synonyms like šiuolaikinis (modern, contemporary) when the emphasis is on current practices or trends, rather than simply the calendar present. While dabartinis highlights the temporal aspect, šiuolaikinis often emphasizes modernity or up-to-date characteristics. The term appears across academic, media, and public discourse to refer to ongoing conditions, events, or periods.

See also: šiuolaikinis, laikas, laikotarpis, laikmatis.