Estonian Verbs

Welcome to the 10th lesson about verbs in Estonian. We will first learn about the present tense, followed by the past tense, and future tense. We will also analyze some grammar rules, and finally practice how to ask for direction in Estonian.

Verbs are used to express an action (I swim) or a state of being (I am). The present tense in Estonian conveys a situation or event in the present time. Here are some examples:

Present Tense - Estonian
I speak English ma räägin inglise keelt
you speak French te räägite prantsuse keelt
he speaks German ta räägib saksa keelt
she speaks Italian ta räägib itaalia keelt
we speak Arabic me räägime araabia keelt
they speak Chinese nad räägivad hiina keelt

The past tense in Estonian conveys a situation or event in the past time. Here are some examples:

Past Tense - Estonian
I visited France ma käisin prantsusmaal
you visited Italy te käisite itaalias
he visited Morocco ta käis marokos
she visited China ta käis hiinas
we visited Mexico me käisime mehhikos
they visited Kenya nad käisid keenias

The future tense in Estonian conveys a situation or event which is anticipated to happen in the future. Here are some examples:

Future Tense - Estonian
I will drink milk ma joon piima
you will drink coffee sa jood kohvi
he will drink tea ta joob teed
she will drink water ta joob vett
we will drink apple juice me joome õunamahla
they will drink tea nad joovad teed

Now let's take a break and refresh our vocabulary by learning the body parts.

ear kõrv

eye silm

mouth suu

nose nina

hair juuksed

face nägu

head pea

heart süda

hand käsi

fingers sõrmed

leg jalg

feet jalad

Travel Phrases in Estonian

Imagine yourself in some Estonian speaking country. The following travel phrases are highly important and can help you avoid misunderstanding. Try to memorize them and practice!

English - Estonian
Can you help me? kas saaksite mind aidata?
Can I help you? kas saan teid aidata?
Where is the airport? kus on lennujaam?
Go straight minge otse
Then siis
Turn left pöörake vasakule
Turn right pöörake paremale

I hope this lesson about the verbs in Estonian was not hard for you. Please check out our main menu here for more lessons: homepage. To see the full menu, you can also click on the "Menu" icon on the left side.