Estonian/Questions

On this page we'll finally learn some useful phrases for exchange students, queries and the Indicative Future as a bonus.

Questions

Estonian	English	Notes
mis?	what?	Decl: mis? mille? mida?
kes?	who?	Decl: kes? kelle? keda?
kus?	where?
millal?	when?
miks? milleks? mille jaoks?	why? for what?

Nouns

• köök - köögi - kööki - kitchen
• pood - poe - poodi - store/shop
• tuba - toa - tuba - room (of a building)
• vannituba - bathroom (not always with a toilet)
• WC - room with a toilet (Water Closet)

Verbs

Verbs in Estonian have two kinds of Infinitives, ending with -ma and -da. The -ma Infinitive is used in dictionaries to list verbs. Here we'll show how to conjugate when given a -ma Infinitive. Some are straightforward while others take some additional vowels or change entirely.

English	-ma Infinitive	mina	sina	tema	meie	teie	nemad
to come	tulema	tulen	tuled	tuleb	tuleme	tulete	tulevad
to arrive	saabuma	saabun	saabud	saabub	saabume	saabute	saabuvad
to buy	ostma	ostan	ostad	ostab	ostame	ostate	ostavad
to go	minema	lähen	lähed	läheb	läheme	lähete	lähevad
to leave	lahkuma	lahkun	lahkud	lahkub	lahkume	lahkute	lahkuvad
to get	saama	saan	saad	saab	saame	saate	saavad

Estonian Future

Estonian verbs have no Indicative Future. Instead, the Indicative Present shows the Future. Often the verb saama (to get) is used with the appropriate Nominal form of the verb (not Nominative case) to indicate the Future as well, which we won't be covering here yet.

Adverbs of time and Pronouns of space

Estonian	English
täna	today
homme	tomorrow
varsti	soon
hilja	late
siin	here
seal	there

Phrases

Kus on Toomas? Translation Where is Toomas? Millal Katrin tuleb? Translation When is Katrin coming? Katrin tuleb varsti Translation Katrin will come soon Katrin is coming soon Kes täna tuleb? Translation Who is coming today? Kus on köök? Translation Where is the kitchen? Miks on Martin siin? Translation Why is Martin here? Miks Martin siin on? Translation Why is Martin here? Kus pood on? Translation Where is the shop?