Age, Dates, and Years in Lithuanian

Three special number topics in Lithuanian: age (uses unique "collective" numerals), dates (ordinal numbers in the accusative), and years (ordinal numbers in the plural). Each has its own rules.

Age — Collective Numbers (Dauginiai skaitvardžiai)

Question: Kiek tau metų? (How old are you?)

A special group of numerals is used for age — collective numbers:

From 10 onwards, the genitive case is used: dešimt metų, penkiolika metų.

Compound numbers combine both systems: dvidešimt penkeri metai (25), šešiasdešimt penkeri metai (65).

Dative construction for age

Age in Lithuanian is expressed through the dative case of the person:

Kiek tau metų? — How old are you? Man dvidešimt penkeri. — I am twenty-five.

Examples:

• Kiek metų jūsų sūnui? — How old is your son? — Penkiolika metų. — Fifteen.
• Kiek metų jūsų dukteriai? — How old is your daughter? — Devyneri metai. — Nine.

Dates — Ordinal Accusative

Question: Kada yra jūsų gimtadienis? (When is your birthday?)

Dates use: month in genitive + ordinal number in accusative.

Months (genitive)

Lithuanian national holidays

Years — Ordinal Plural Nominative

Question: Kokie metai? (What year is it?)

Formula: du tūkstančiai + ordinal in plural:

In everyday speech, birth years in the 1900s are often said in short form:

• 1994 → Devyniasdešimt ketvirti metai.

Example:

• Tūkstantis du šimtai penkiasdešimt trečiais metais Mindaugas tapo Lietuvos karaliumi. — In 1253, Mindaugas became King of Lithuania.