laikai

Laikai is a Lithuanian noun meaning "times" or "ages." It is the plural form of laikas, the word for time. The term is used to refer to periods within history, eras, or the broader concept of time. In literary and journalistic contexts, laikai often conveys a sense of a distinct epoch rather than a single moment.

Common usages include phrases such as seni laikai (the old times), šiuolaikiniai laikai (modern times), and nauji laikai (new times). The word frequently appears in discussions of history, culture, and social change to frame arguments by time period. It can also appear in set expressions such as laikų kaita (change of times) or šių laikų žmonės (people of these times), though the latter uses accompanying adjectives in agreement with laikai. In everyday speech, laikai may be used to refer to times in a general sense, while laikas remains the more common term for a moment or duration.

Grammar notes: laikai is the nominative plural of laikas. It inflects like other Lithuanian masculine nouns and takes different case forms to express possession, direction, or location. Related forms include laikas (time) and laikai (times).