How to write an email in Lithuanian

Worried about writing an email in the Lithuanian language? Your message might be lost in translation if you don’t follow some common rules of writing in the Lithuanian language.

In this article, we will discuss a few ways to start and end an email as well as provide advice on which phrases to use to properly communicate your message and discuss the required topic with friends or business partners.

Lithuanian email greetings

An email has to start with a greeting which depends on the level of formality you wish to keep (formal or informal). The Lithuanian language has extra vowels and decorated consonants which can change the whole word/name if skipped. Therefore, it is recommended to copy and paste the recipient's name from previous emails to avoid any mistakes.

In Lithuanian, a formal email begins with addressing the recipient, e.g. “Dear Director” and a comma is written right after. Also, it is not uncommon to shorten the word “Dear” (“Gerbiamasis (masculine) / Gerbiamoji (feminine) ) to a “Gerb.” followed by the surname or position. For example:

• “Gerb. Ona” (Dear Ona)
• “Gerb. Vadybininke” (Dear Manager)

Neutral greetings are:

• "Labas rytas” (Good morning)
• “Laba diena” (Good day / afternoon)
• “Labas vakaras” (Good evening)

Informal emails allow the use of a neutral greeting:

• “Labas” (Hello)
• “Sveikas” (Hello when addressing a man)
• “Sveika” (Hello when addressing a woman).

A comma has to follow, e.g. “Labas rytas, Marija” (Good morning, Marija).

How to end an email in Lithuanian

A polite way to conclude a formal email is to use one of the following sign-off phrases:

• “Pagarbiai” (Respectfully)
• “Su pagarba” (With respect)

These formal sign-off phrases are written on a new line and start with a capital letter. No punctuation marks are required and the name and surname of the sender are written on the following line. In the case of a business email, a company name should also be added at the end.

The ending of an informal email does not follow set rules. It can be concluded with phrases such as:

• “Linkėjimai” (Best regards)
• “Lauksiu žinių” (I will be waiting for news)
• “Dėkoju” (Thank you)

Similar to the endings of formal emails, these informal Lithuanian email sign-off phrases are not followed by a comma, and the first name of the sender is written on the next line. The contact details of the sender may also be added at the end of the email if necessary.

Other useful Lithuanian email phrases

Depending on the context, a useful phrase to include at the beginning of the email is “Dėkoju už Jūsų laišką” (Thank you for your letter/email) which is a formal form and “Dėkoju už tavo laišką” for informal emails.

It is important to remember that Lithuanian distinguishes between formal and informal pronouns. The formal pronouns always start with a capital letter, for example: “Jūs” (You), “Jums” (For you), “Jūsų” (Yours).

When responding to a formal email, the phrase “Ačiū, kad susisiekėte” (Thank you for getting in touch) can also be used. When the email is a response to a previous phone call, it is polite to write “Dėkoju už skambutį” (Thank you for your call) or “Dėkoju už pokalbį” (Thank you for the conversation).

To inform the recipient of certain details, one may say:

• “Norėčiau Jums pranešti, kad …” (I would like to inform you, that …)
• “Norėčiau pasidalinti šia informacija” (I would like to share this information)
• “Pranešu, jog…” (I inform you that…)

When making plans via email, the following sentences may be used:

• “Ar turėtumėte laiko …” (Are you available on [insert date/time] )
• “Ar galiu Jums paskambinti …” (May I call you at [insert time] )
• “Ar galite atvykti …” (Could you arrive on [insert date/time] )

To ask for extra information, a sender may use these phrases:

• “Norėčiau pasiteirauti” (I would like to ask),
• “Norėčiau sužinoti” (I would like to know)
• “Ar galite patvirtinti” (Could you please confirm)
• “Ar galite man pranešti” (Could you please inform me)

The most common closings are:

• “Lauksiu patvirtinimo” (I will wait for confirmation)
• “Lauksiu informacijos” (I will wait for information)
• “Lauksiu detalesnės informacijos” (I will wait for the detailed information)
• “Dėkoju iš anksto” (Thank you in advance).

Email etiquette changes depending on the recipient and it is necessary to keep that in mind when checking your way of writing. Professionalism and efficiency are the practices to be followed.

Specific types of Lithuanian letters

Just like any typical postcard, a postcard in Lithuanian may be started with “Dear” followed by the recipient's name. The informal manner of a postcard suggests the word “Brangus/Brangioji” to be used for men/women. Since postcards are usually tied to a special event, it is common to include a few wishes for the receiver or their family. Family wishes could be the following:

• “Linkiu sveikatos ir laimės Jūsų šeimai” (I wish your family good health and happiness)
• “Sveikinu Jūsų šeimą su Šv. Kalėdomis” (Merry Christmas to your family)
• “Linkiu Jūsų šeimai geriausios kloties” (All the best wishes to your family)

These formal greetings could also be easily turned to informal with a change of a pronoun:

• “Linkiu sveikatos ir laimės tavo šeimai”
• “Sveikinu tavo šeimą su Šv. Kalėdomis”
• “Linkiu tavo šeimai geriausios kloties”

In Lithuania, postcards are mostly used for birthdays, weddings, or Christmas holidays. A birthday card normally begins with the recipient's name, followed by a few well-wishes. The usual ones include:

• “Linkiu sveikatos” (I wish you good health)
• “Linkiu laimės” (I wish you happiness)
• “Gražaus gimtadienio” (Have a beautiful birthday)
• “Linkiu visų svajonių išsipildymo” (May all your wishes come true)

A simple birthday postcard could have text like “Brangus/Brangioji [insert a name], Sveikinu su gimtadieniu!” (Dear [insert a name], Happy birthday!) It is not uncommon to have it followed by a short traditional poem or a few simple wishes.

Lithuanian email example

A basic example of a Lithuanian email could be the following:

translation:

As you can see, many common phrases may be used in different scenarios. Some of them can be easily amended from formal to informal, such as “Dėkoju už Jūsų laišką” (Thank you for your email - formal) can be changed into “Dėkoju už tavo laišką” (Thank you for your email - informal). The informal way to express gratitude could also be “Ačiū” (Thank you).

Typical questions in the emails are also transformed by a slight change: a formal “Ar galiu Jums paskambinti?” (May I give you a call?) can be switched to an informal “Ar galiu tau paskambinti?”

Importance of email etiquette

Email forms our image or the image of our company so it is necessary to pay attention to spelling, especially when using decorated consonants in the Lithuanian language.

Using best practices and common Lithuanian email phrases allows you to make a positive impression and communicate clearly. When writing an email in Lithuanian, it is important to double-check the vowels and consonants to avoid confusion and make your message easy to understand.