If you're trying to learn Estonian Verbs you will find some useful resources including a course about Verbs in the present past and future tense... to help you with your Estonian grammar. Try to concentrate on the lesson and notice the pattern that occurs each time the word changes its place. Also don't forget to check the rest of our other lessons listed on Learn Estonian. Enjoy the rest of the lesson!
Learning the Estonian Verbs is very important because its structure is used in every day conversation. The more you master it the more you get closer to mastering the Estonian language. But first we need to know what the role of Verbs is in the structure of the grammar in Estonian.
Estonian verbs are words that convey action (bring, read, walk, run), or a state of being (exist, stand). In most languages a verb may agree with the person, gender, and/or number of some of its arguments, such as its subject, or object.
- Present Tense
In Estonian, verbs take the following endings to form the present tense:
mina -n, sina -d, tema -b, meie -me, teie -te, nemad -vad. Example:
mina mängin, sina mängid, tema mängib, meie mängime, teie mängite, nemad mängivad.
These endings can help you a lot, because with them you can conjugate almost all the verbs into the present tense, you only need the stem of the verb, for example the stem of (mängima: to play) is (mängi).
- Past Tense
In Estonian as well as in English the simple past tense is used to describe past events. The endings for the past tense verbs are:
mina -sin, sina -sid, tema -(i)s, meie -sime, teie -site, nemad -sid. Example :
mina mängisin, sina mängisid, tema mängis, meie mängisime, teie mängisite, nemad mängisid.
So just take any regular verb stem and add it to the endings above, for example our previous verb mängima (to play), its stem is “mängi”, plus the endings above becomes mina mängisin (I platyed).
- Future Tense
Estonian has no future tense. When talking about events that are happening in the future, present simple is typically used.
Here are some examples:
| English Verbs | Estonian Verbs |
|---|---|
| Verbs | Verbid |
| Past | minevik |
| I spoke | ma rääkisin |
| I wrote | ma kirjutasin |
| I drove | ma sõitsin |
| I loved | Armastasin |
| I gave | ma andsin |
| I smiled | ma naeratasin |
| I took | ma võtsin |
| he spoke | Ta rääkis |
| he wrote | ta kirjutas |
| he drove | ta sõitis |
| he loved | ta armastas |
| he gave | Ta andis |
| he smiled | ta naeratas |
| he took | Ta võttis |
| we spoke | me rääkisime |
| we wrote | me kirjutasime |
| we drove | me sõitsime |
| we loved | Me armastasime |
| we gave | me andsime |
| we smiled | me naeratasime |
| we took | me võtsime |
| Future | Tulevik |
| I will speak | ma räägin |
| I will write | Ma kirjutan |
| I will drive | ma juhin |
| I will love | Ma armastan |
| I will give | Ma annan |
| I will smile | ma naeratan |
| I will take | Ma võtan |
| he will speak | ta räägib |
| he will write | Ta kirjutab |
| he will drive | ta sõidab |
| he will love | Ta armastab |
| he will give | Ta annab |
| he will smile | ta naeratab |
| he will take | ta võtab |
| we will speak | me räägime |
| we will write | me kirjutame |
| we will drive | me sõidame |
| we will love | me armastame |
| we will give | me anname |
| we will smile | me naeratame |
| we will take | me võtame |
| Present | olevik |
| I speak | ma räägin |
| I write | Ma kirjutan |
| I drive | Ma sõidan |
| I love | Ma armastan |
| I give | Ma annan |
| I smile | ma naeratan |
| I take | Ma võtan |
| he speaks | ta räägib |
| he writes | ta kirjutab |
| he drives | ta sõidab |
| he loves | ta armastab |
| he gives | ta annab |
| he smiles | Ta naeratab |
| he takes | ta võtab |
| we speak | me räägime |
| we write | me kirjutame |
| we drive | me sõidame |
| we love | me armastame |
| we give | me anname |
| we smile | me naeratame |
| we take | me võtame |
Notice the structure of the Verbs in Estonian has a logical pattern. Locate the Verbs above and see how it works with the rest of the sentence in Estonian.
Grammar Tips:
Present Tense: In Estonian, verbs take the following endings to form the present tense:
mina -n, sina -d, tema -b, meie -me, teie -te, nemad -vad.
These endings can help you a lot, because with them you can conjugate all verbs into the present tense, you only need the stem of the verb, for example the stem of mängima (to play) is "mängi".
Grammar Tips:
Past Tense: In Estonian as well as in English the simple past tense (imperfect) is used to describe past events, regularly used when talking or writing about the past. To form the simple past tense of different types of verbs the past form of the 1st person singular need to be memorized. The most common suffix is -s followed by the appropriate verb ending:
ma kirjutasin (I wrote), sa kirjutasid (you wrote), ta kirjutas (he/she wrote), me kirjutasime (we wrote), te kirjutasite (you wrote), nad kirjutasid (they wrote).
The negative of the simple past tense is easy: "ei"+verb with the -nud ending: ma ei kirjutanud (I didn’t write), sa ei kirjutanud (you didn’t write), ta ei kirjutanud (he/she didn't write), me ei kirjutanud (we didn't write), te ei kirjutanud (you didn't write), nad ei kirjutanud (they didn't write).
Grammar Tips:
There is no Future Tense in Estonian, just use the Present Tense to express the future.
Below is a list of the conjugated Verbs in the present past and future in Estonian placed in a table. Memorizing this table will help you add very useful and important words to your Estonian vocabulary.
| English Verbs | Estonian Verbs |
|---|---|
| I can accept that | ma võin selle vastu võtta |
| she added it | Ta lisas selle |
| we admit it | me tunnistame seda |
| they advised him | nad andsid talle nõu |
| I can agree with that | ma võin sellega nõustuda |
| she allows it | ta lubab seda |
| we announce it | me teavitame sellest |
| I can apologize | ma võin vabandust paluda |
| she appears today | ta ilmub täna |
| they arranged that | nemad korraldasid selle |
| I can arrive tomorrow | võin homme saabuda |
| she can ask him | ta võib temalt küsida |
| she attaches that | ta lisab selle |
| we attack them | me ründame neid |
| they avoid her | nad väldivad teda |
| I can bake it | ma võin selle küpsetada |
| she is like him | ta on nagu temagi |
| we beat it | me saame sellest jagu |
| they became happy | nad said õnnelikuks |
| I can begin that | ma võin seda alustada |
| we borrowed money | me laenasime raha |
| they breathe air | nad hingavad õhku |
| I can bring it | ma võin selle tuua |
| I can build that | ma võin selle ehitada |
| she buys food | ta ostab toitu |
| we calculate it | me arvutame seda |
| they carry it | nad kannavad seda |
| they don't cheat | nad ei peta |
| she chooses him | ta valib tema |
| we close it | me sulgeme selle |
| he comes here | ta tuleb siia |
| I can compare that | saan seda võrrelda |
| she competes with me | ta võistleb minuga |
| we complain about it | me kaebame selle üle |
| they continued reading | nad jätkasid lugemist |
| he cried about that | ta nuttis selle pärast |
| I can decide now | ma saan nüüd otsustada |
| she described it to me | ta kirjeldas seda mulle |
| we disagree about it | me ei nõustunud selles osas |
| they disappeared quickly | nad kadusid kiiresti |
| I discovered that | ma avastasin selle |
| she dislikes that | talle ei meeldi see |
| we do it | me teeme seda |
| they dream about it | nad unistavad sellest |
| I earned | ma teenisin |
| he eats a lot | ta sööb palju |
| we enjoyed that | me nautisime seda |
| they entered here | nad sisenesid siia |
| he escaped that | ta pääses sellest |
| I can explain that | ma võin seda selgitada |
| she feels that too | ta tunneb seda ka |
| we fled from there | me põgenesime sealt |
| they will fly tomorrow | nad lendavad homme |
| I can follow you | ma võin teile järgneda |
| she forgot me | ta unustas mu |
| we forgive him | me anname talle andeks |
| I can give her that | ma võin talle selle anda |
| she goes there | ta läheb sinna |
| we greeted them | me tervitasime neid |
| I hate that | Ma vihkan seda |
| I can hear it | Ma kuulen seda |
| she imagine that | ta kujutleb seda |
| we invited them | me kutsusime nad |
| I know him | ma tunnen teda |
| she learned it | ta õppis seda |
| we leave now | me lahkume nüüd |
| they lied about him | nad valetasid tema kohta |
| I can listen to that | ma võin seda kuulata |
| she lost that | ta kaotas selle |
| we made it yesterday | tegime selle eile |
| they met him | nad kohtusid temaga |
| I misspell that | ma kirjutasin selle valesti |
| I always pray | ma alati palvetan |
| she prefers that | ta eelistab seda |
| we protected them | me kaitsesime neid |
| they will punish her | nad karistavad teda |
| I can put it there | ma võin selle sinna panna |
| she will read it | ta loeb seda |
| we received that | me saime selle kätte |
| they refuse to talk | nad keelduvad rääkimast |
| I remember that | ma mäletan seda |
| she repeats that | ta kordab seda |
| we see it | me näeme seda |
| they sell it | nad müüvad seda |
| I sent that yesterday | ma saatsin selle eile |
| he shaved his beard | ta ajas habet |
| it shrunk quickly | see kahanes kiiresti |
| we will sing it | me laulame seda |
| they sat there | nad istusid seal |
| I can speak it | ma võin seda rääkida |
| she spends money | ta kulutab raha |
| we suffered from that | me kannatasime selle all |
| they suggest that | nad soovitavad seda |
| I surprised him | ma üllatasin teda |
| she took that | ta võttis selle |
| we teach it | me õpetame seda |
| they told us | nad ütlesid meile |
| she thanked him | ta tänas teda |
| I can think about it | ma võin selle üle mõelda |
| she threw it | ta viskas seda |
| we understand that | me mõistame seda |
| they want that | nad tahavad seda |
| I can wear it | ma võin seda kanda |
| she writes that | ta kirjutab seda |
| we talk about it | me räägime sellest |
| they have it | neil on see |
| I watched it | Ma vaatasin seda |
| I will talk about it | ma räägin sellest |
| he bought that yesterday | ta ostis selle eile |
| we finished it | me lõpetasime selle |
Verbs in the present past and future tense have a very important role in Estonian. Once you're done with Estonian Verbs, you might want to check the rest of our Estonian lessons here: Learn Estonian. Don't forget to bookmark this page.
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