Convenience Store

1. Ar reikia maišelio? Jis mokamas.

   Do you need a bag? It's not free.

   Usage

   Said by staff. Lithuania charges for lightweight plastic bags, and even a small parduotuvė will check. Decline with "Nereikia, ačiū"

   Grammar Note

   "Reikia" is impersonal and takes no subject; what is needed goes into the genitive (maišelis → maišelio). The particle "ar" at the front turns the sentence into a yes/no question, much like English "do"

2. Maišelio nereikia, turiu savo.

   No bag needed, I have my own.

   Usage

   How to decline when you have a reusable bag — carrying a cloth one is thoroughly normal in Lithuania

   Grammar Note

   Negation attaches the prefix "ne-" directly to the verb as one word (reikia → nereikia). "Savo" is the invariable reflexive possessive — it means "my own", "your own" and so on, depending on the subject

3. Kur yra taromatas?

   Where is the deposit return machine?

   Usage

   Lithuania introduced its deposit scheme in 2016, adding 10 cents to plastic bottles, cans and glass. The "taromatas" sits by the entrance or on the outside wall, often accessible around the clock

   Grammar Note

   "Taromatas" blends "tara" (containers) with "automatas" (machine) and is the one word everyone uses in Lithuania. "Yra" is the third-person form of "to be", identical in singular and plural

4. Ar galima čia grąžinti tarą?

   Can I return empty containers here?

   Usage

   Only containers printed with "Užstatas 0,10 €" qualify; imported or small-volume drinks often do not. A small parduotuvė may have no machine at all, sending you to a larger store

   Grammar Note

   "Galima" is an impersonal form meaning "one may / it is possible", followed by an infinitive. The accusative of "tara" is "tarą" with the nasal letter "ą" — no longer pronounced nasally, just as a long "a"

5. Ar turite taromato kvitą?

   Do you have the slip from the deposit machine?

   Usage

   Said by staff. The machine prints a barcoded slip when you feed containers in; hand it to the till to deduct from your shopping or take the cash. Lose the slip and you lose the refund

   Grammar Note

   Lithuanian politeness uses the second-person plural "jūs" with plural verb forms such as "turite". The singular "turi" is for people you are close to and never used by staff to a customer

6. Ar turite lojalumo kortelę?

   Do you have a loyalty card?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Lithuanian chains such as Maxima (Ačiū) and Iki (Iki Premija) run two price tiers, and shelf tags show both. If you have no card, say "Neturiu"

   Grammar Note

   When one noun modifies another, the modifier goes into the genitive: "lojalumas" becomes "lojalumo kortelė". This mirrors English noun-noun compounds and is extremely productive in Lithuanian

7. Ar yra minimali suma mokant kortele?

   Is there a minimum amount when paying by card?

   Usage

   Independent little parduotuvės still often set a two- to five-euro floor. Urban chains generally have none and will take a card for any amount

   Grammar Note

   "Mokant" is an adverbial participle (padalyvis) meaning "while / when doing", used when the subject matches the main clause. The means of payment takes the instrumental: kortelė → kortele

8. Iki penkių eurų kortelių nepriimame.

   We don't take cards under five euros.

   Usage

   Said by staff. Either add an item to clear the floor or pay cash. Lithuania is in the eurozone, so keeping small coins on you smooths things over in tiny shops

   Grammar Note

   Under negation a direct object switches from accusative to genitive, so "korteles" becomes "kortelių". The preposition "iki" also governs the genitive, giving "penkių eurų"

9. Iki kelintos valandos prekiaujate alkoholiu?

   Until what time do you sell alcohol?

   Usage

   Lithuanian law limits off-licence alcohol sales to 10:00-20:00 Monday to Saturday and 10:00-15:00 on Sunday — among the strictest regimes in Europe. Outside those hours the chiller is locked and the till will refuse it

   Grammar Note

   The verb "prekiauti" (to trade in) unusually governs the instrumental, so "alkoholis" becomes "alkoholiu". "Kelintas" asks "which in order" and is the standard way to ask a clock time

10. Alkoholio po dvidešimtos valandos neparduodame.

    We don't sell alcohol after eight in the evening.

    Usage

    Said by staff — and the reason a queue forms around 19:50. On Sunday the cut-off is 15:00, worth remembering when planning a weekend

    Grammar Note

    Times are given as ordinals on the 24-hour clock: 20:00 is "dvidešimta valanda", the twentieth hour. The preposition "po" meaning "after" governs the genitive, hence "dvidešimtos valandos"

11. Prašau parodyti asmens dokumentą.

    Please show me your ID.

    Usage

    Said by staff. Lithuania's drinking age is 20, high by European standards, and anyone who looks young will be checked. As a visitor, show your passport

    Grammar Note

    "Prašau" is literally "I ask" but serves as the everyday "please". The genitive of "asmuo" (person) is irregularly "asmens", and "asmens dokumentas" is the standard term for an identity document

12. Iki kelintos valandos dirbate?

    What time are you open until?

    Usage

    Lithuanian mini-markets usually shut at 22:00 or 23:00, with round-the-clock trading limited to petrol-station shops. The door sign reads "Darbo laikas" (opening hours)

    Grammar Note

    Lithuanian naturally describes a shop's trading with the verb "dirbti" (to work), so "Ar dirbate?" means "are you open?". The adjective "atidaryta" appears on signs but rarely in speech

13. Ar galėtumėte pašildyti mikrobangų krosnelėje?

    Could you heat it up in the microwave?

    Usage

    Petrol-station shops and bus-station kiosks usually keep a microwave; a residential parduotuvė generally does not. For something warm, look for a "kepykla" (bakery) instead

    Grammar Note

    The conditional "galėtumėte" softens the request compared with "galite". The locative case, formed here with "-ėje", marks location: krosnelė → krosnelėje. "Mikrobangų" is a genitive plural, "of microwaves"

14. Gal turite smulkių?

    Do you happen to have small change?

    Usage

    Said by staff. Small shops run short of coins, so a fifty-euro note always brings this question. Digging out one-cent pieces to make the total round is entirely normal in Lithuania

    Grammar Note

    The adjective "smulkus" (fine, small) is nominalised to mean loose change. An indefinite quantity takes the genitive — "smulkių" — while the accusative "smulkius" would point at specific coins

15. Ar turite šviežios duonos?

    Do you have fresh bread?

    Usage

    Lithuanian dark rye bread ("juoda duona") is a staple even in small shops, with cut loaves usually arriving in the morning. The tangy "ruginė duona" also travels well as a gift

    Grammar Note

    Asking whether an indefinite quantity is available puts the object in the genitive, and the adjective follows suit: "šviežia duona" becomes "šviežios duonos" with both words inflected

16. Iki kada galioja šis pienas?

    How long is this milk good for?

    Usage

    Labels distinguish "Tinka vartoti iki" (use by) from "Geriausias iki" (best before). Stock turns slowly in a small shop, so dairy close to its date does linger — worth a check

    Grammar Note

    "Galioti" means "to be valid" and covers tickets and visas as well as expiry dates. The demonstrative "šis" is masculine singular; a feminine noun takes "ši", as in "ši duona" (this bread)

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