Why Words Bend
Lithuanian endings show the job a word is doing.
Endings carry meaning that English often puts in word order.
In English, the position of a word usually tells you whether it is the subject, object, source, or place. Lithuanian puts much of that work into the ending, so the same idea can move around while the role stays clear.
Keep the base shape when a word is being named or identified.
Use a target shape when something receives an action or movement.
Use a source shape for ideas like from, of, without, and some.
Use a place shape when the word tells where something happens.
Name or subject
Who or what is being identified
Start here when the word is simply being named.
Target
What the action reaches
Use this for many direct objects and destinations.
Source
Where something comes from or belongs
Use this around from, of, without, and partial amounts.
Place
Where the action sits
Use this when the word answers where.
This is my house.
The house is being identified, so it stays in its naming shape.
I am reading a book.
The book receives the action, so the ending marks it as the target.
I am from Vilnius.
The city is the source, so the ending changes to show from-ness.
He works at a school.
The school is the place where the action happens.
I am reading a book.
What job is the book doing in this sentence?
I am from Vilnius.
What does the city shape show here?
He works at a school.
Why does the school use a place shape?