metai

Metai is the Lithuanian word for year. It functions as a noun used to denote both calendar years and durations of time. In everyday language, metai is employed when talking about the passage of time, historical periods, or the length of events.

In Lithuanian, metai appears in a range of common phrases. For example, Nauji metai means New Year, reflecting the annual cycle that begins each calendar year. Kalendoriniai metai refers to the calendar year as a time frame, while mokslo metai denotes the academic year, the period during which schools and universities hold classes. The word is used across formal and informal speech to specify a time unit of twelve months, as well as the broader notion of years in general.

Linguistically, metai is a native Lithuanian noun and is widely used in everyday and official discourse. It can appear in various grammatical cases and numeral constructions to express different temporal meanings, such as durations or references to a particular year within a sequence of years. The term thus plays a central role in how time is described and organized in Lithuanian language and culture.

Across contexts, metai contributes to organizing activities, calendars, and cultural practices that revolve around the annual cycle. Its straightforward meaning—one or more years—makes it a foundational term in both language and daily life in Lithuania.

See also: Calendar, Lithuanian language, New Year.