How to learn Lithuanian:
a plan from zero to A2

Short answer. To learn Lithuanian from zero to A2, speak out loud from the first week: 15–20 minutes of conversation a day, ready-made phrases instead of grammar tables, and flashcards for the words you actually used. Bring grammar in once you have phrases to hang it on. If you need A2 for permanent residence, spend the last 6–8 weeks on the exam format: the oral part, the written part and the Constitution test.

How long this takes depends on how many hours you put in, which languages you already know and how much Lithuanian you hear around you. We do not promise a deadline. What we can give you is an order of steps that keeps you speaking the whole way.

Why speak first

Lithuanian has a reputation for being hard: seven cases, many endings, stress that moves. If you start with tables, you can spend months knowing the endings and still freeze when a cashier asks you something. If you start with phrases, you can say something useful in the first week, and grammar later explains what you already say.

You do not need to know grammar to start. You need about a dozen phrases about yourself, a few situations you meet every day, and someone to say them to.

What to do every day

A routine of 25–30 minutes works better than a three-hour session on Sunday:

• 15–20 minutes of speaking out loud. A short conversation on one topic. An AI partner, a tutor or a patient colleague, but out loud, not in your head.
• 5–10 minutes of flashcards. Words and phrases from your conversations, reviewed on a schedule: after a day, three days, a week.
• 5 minutes of listening. Short everyday audio: a dialogue in a shop, an announcement, a podcast for learners. Listen twice and repeat a sentence or two.

The plan in four stages

The weeks below are an example for someone practising every day. Move on when you can do what the stage describes, not when the calendar says so.

Stage 1, weeks 1–2: sounds and first phrases

• Learn how Lithuanian letters are read: š, ž, č, the long vowels and ė. Lithuanian is read almost as it is written.
• Learn 10–12 sentences about yourself: Mano vardas Ana. (My name is Ana.) Aš gyvenu Vilniuje. (I live in Vilnius.) Aš dirbu parduotuvėje. (I work in a shop.)
• Start with 100 essential Lithuanian phrases: greetings, "I don't understand", "please repeat".

Done when you can introduce yourself for a minute without reading.

Stage 2, weeks 3–8: everyday situations

• One situation every few days: shop and café, transport, doctor and pharmacy, renting a flat, work.
• Numbers, prices, time and days of the week: you need them everywhere.
• Verbs in the present tense through phrases you use: Aš perku duoną. (I am buying bread.) Ar galite pakartoti? (Could you repeat that?)

Done when you can get through a simple everyday conversation, even slowly and with mistakes.

Stage 3, weeks 9–16: past, plans and cases in context

• Talk about what you did yesterday and what you will do at the weekend.
• Learn cases where they come up in speech, not as a table: the place where you are (Vilniuje, in Vilnius), what you have (Turiu du vaikus., I have two children), what you do not have (Neturiu laiko., I have no time).
• Add short texts: notices, messages, simple news for learners. The A2 exam reads and writes texts like these.
• For grammar drills, use a trainer such as Treniruoklis 3.0 or the free exercises on Šaunuolė. See our review of apps for learning Lithuanian.

Done when you can talk for two or three minutes about your family, work, home and plans.

Stage 4, the last 6–8 weeks: the exam format

If you need Lithuanian for permanent residence, you will usually sit the state A2 exam and the Constitution exam. Switch part of your practice to their format:

• Oral part, 12–14 minutes, three tasks: questions about yourself without preparation, then two tasks with a minute to prepare. Prepare 10–12 answers about yourself and practise against a timer. Questions to practise with: Lithuanian A2 speaking questions.
• Written part on a computer: reading and writing for 1 hour 30 minutes, then listening for 25 minutes. Details: the written part of the A2 exam.
• Constitution: a separate test of 20 questions in Lithuanian in 45 minutes. Details: the Constitution exam.

Dates, fees and registration are in the guide to the Lithuanian A2 exam and registration in MIGRIS. Take the mock A2 exam at the start of this stage and again a week or two before the real one, so you can see where you stand. For the Constitution there is a mock Constitution test in the same format.

Where to practise speaking

• An AI conversation partner. Available at any hour and never in a hurry. Talkfirst is a voice trainer for spoken Lithuanian: you talk out loud from A1, and after each conversation you see your pauses and mistakes explained in English, Russian or Ukrainian. Free: 35 voice minutes a week; Pro: 140 minutes a week for 500 Telegram Stars per 30 days.
• A tutor. A person who hears you and adjusts the lesson. Preply listed 46 Lithuanian tutors in October 2026, at $29 an hour on average.
• Free courses. Lithuania runs free courses for foreigners, such as the Vilnius programme Aš kalbu. A group course gives structure but little time to speak yourself, so add daily practice.
• Real life. Say one phrase in Lithuanian every time you buy something or greet a neighbour. Short, but it counts.

Mistakes that slow people down

• Waiting until you are "ready" to speak. You become ready by speaking.
• Only reading and tapping. Recognising a word on a screen is not the same as saying it when someone is waiting for your answer.
• Learning the whole case table at once. Learn the forms you need in the phrases you use; the system appears by itself.
• Writing Lithuanian in another alphabet. Learn to read Lithuanian letters from day one; a home-made transcription teaches pronunciation that does not exist.
• Looking for Lithuanian on Duolingo. It is not there. See what to use instead.

Frequently asked questions

More Lithuanian guides: all guides.