Module 1 - Getting Started with Estonian
Lesson 6 — Essential Greetings and Polite Expressions
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You now have the pronunciation foundation needed to begin using Estonian in everyday situations.
In this lesson, you will learn how to:
- greet people,
- say goodbye,
- say please and thank you,
- apologize,
- get someone's attention,
- ask someone to repeat,
- respond politely,
- and handle short everyday interactions in Estonian.
The goal is simple:
Start using Estonian immediately.
1. Tere — Hello
The most common general greeting is:
Tere!
Meaning:
Hello!
You can use tere in many situations:
- meeting someone,
- entering a shop,
- arriving at work,
- speaking to a receptionist,
- greeting a neighbour,
- beginning a conversation.
Example:
A:
Tere!
B:
Tere!
It works in both formal and informal situations.
2. Tere hommikust — Good Morning
To say:
Good morning
use:
Tere hommikust!
You may also hear simply:
Hommikust!
The full expression is a good choice for beginners.
Example:
Tere hommikust!
Good morning!
3. Tere päevast — Good Day
A more formal daytime greeting is:
Tere päevast!
It means approximately:
Good day!
You may hear this in:
- offices,
- customer service,
- formal meetings,
- official situations.
In ordinary conversation, tere is often enough.
4. Tere õhtust — Good Evening
To say:
Good evening
use:
Tere õhtust!
Example:
Tere õhtust!
Good evening!
Notice the vowel:
õ
in:
õhtust
5. Informal Greeting: Tšau
In informal situations, Estonians also use:
Tšau!
Meaning:
Hi! / Bye!
It is casual.
Use it with:
- friends,
- people you know well,
- informal conversations.
For a safe general greeting, use:
Tere!
6. Head aega — Goodbye
A common polite way to say goodbye is:
Head aega!
Meaning:
Goodbye!
You can use it in many everyday situations.
Example:
A:
Aitäh!
B:
Head aega!
7. Nägemist — Goodbye
Another common expression is:
Nägemist!
Meaning:
Goodbye!
It is polite and widely used.
Both are useful:
Head aega!
Nägemist!
You do not need to choose one perfectly every time.
8. Kohtumiseni — See You
To say:
See you!
you can use:
Kohtumiseni!
A more casual expression is:
Näeme!
Meaning:
See you!
For now, recognize both:
Kohtumiseni!
Näeme!
9. Aitäh — Thank You
The standard word for:
Thank you
is:
Aitäh!
Use it frequently.
Examples:
Someone opens the door:
Aitäh!
A cashier gives you your receipt:
Aitäh!
Someone helps you:
Aitäh!
10. Tänan — Thank You
Another way to say thank you is:
Tänan!
It can sound somewhat more formal than:
aitäh
As a beginner, aitäh is usually the easiest everyday choice.
11. Suur aitäh — Thank You Very Much
To express stronger thanks:
Suur aitäh!
Literally:
big thanks
Natural English meaning:
Thank you very much!
Example:
Suur aitäh abi eest!
Thank you very much for the help!
You do not need to understand:
abi eest
yet.
12. Palun — Please
One of the most useful Estonian words is:
palun
It often means:
please
Example:
Üks kohv, palun.
One coffee, please.
Another example:
Palun aidake.
Please help.
13. Palun — Here You Are
The same word can also mean:
Here you are.
For example, someone gives you something and says:
Palun.
You respond:
Aitäh!
So:
palun
can mean different things depending on the situation.
14. Palun — You're Welcome
After someone says:
Aitäh!
you may reply:
Palun!
Meaning:
You're welcome!
Example:
A:
Aitäh!
B:
Palun!
15. Vabandust — Excuse Me / Sorry
A very useful expression is:
Vabandust!
It can mean:
Excuse me.
or:
Sorry.
Use it when:
- getting someone's attention,
- interrupting politely,
- asking a stranger a question,
- apologizing for a small mistake.
Example:
Vabandust!
Excuse me!
Then:
Kus on bussipeatus?
Where is the bus stop?
16. Vabandust for Apologizing
You can also use:
Vabandust.
when apologizing.
Example:
You accidentally bump into someone.
Vabandust!
Sorry!
For everyday small apologies, this is very useful.
17. Pole midagi — It's Nothing
A common response to an apology or thanks is:
Pole midagi.
Meaning:
It's nothing.
Depending on context, it can mean:
No problem.
or:
That's okay.
Example:
A:
Vabandust!
B:
Pole midagi.
Sorry!
No problem.
18. Jah — Yes
To say:
Yes
use:
Jah.
Example:
Jah, palun.
Yes, please.
In informal speech, you may also hear:
jaa
similar to:
yeah
For general use:
jah
is a good default.
19. Ei — No
To say:
No
use:
Ei.
Example:
Ei, aitäh.
No, thank you.
This is an extremely useful phrase.
Ei, aitäh.
means:
No, thank you.
20. Kas ...? — Yes/No Questions
You will learn questions properly later, but one useful pattern is:
Kas ...?
It often introduces a yes/no question.
Example:
Kas kõik on korras?
Is everything okay?
For now, simply recognize:
kas
as an important question word.
21. Ma ei saa aru — I Don't Understand
A very useful beginner sentence is:
Ma ei saa aru.
Meaning:
I don't understand.
Word by word:
- ma — I
- ei — not
- saa aru — understand
Use this whenever necessary.
Ma ei saa aru.
I don't understand.
22. Palun korrake — Please Repeat
To ask someone to repeat:
Palun korrake.
Meaning:
Please repeat.
This is useful in:
- shops,
- offices,
- appointments,
- language practice,
- everyday conversations.
You can also say:
Vabandust, palun korrake.
Excuse me, please repeat.
23. Palun aeglasemalt — More Slowly, Please
Another essential phrase is:
Palun aeglasemalt.
Meaning:
More slowly, please.
Example:
Vabandust, palun aeglasemalt.
Excuse me, more slowly, please.
This is one of the most useful sentences for a beginner.
24. Kas te räägite inglise keelt? — Do You Speak English?
A very practical sentence is:
Kas te räägite inglise keelt?
Meaning:
Do you speak English?
You do not need to analyze the grammar yet.
Learn it as a complete expression.
Important words:
- te — you, polite/plural
- räägite — speak
- inglise keel — English language
25. Ma räägin natuke eesti keelt — I Speak a Little Estonian
To say:
I speak a little Estonian
use:
Ma räägin natuke eesti keelt.
Important words:
- ma — I
- räägin — speak
- natuke — a little
- eesti keelt — Estonian
This is an excellent sentence to use while learning.
26. Ma õpin eesti keelt — I Am Learning Estonian
Another useful sentence:
Ma õpin eesti keelt.
Meaning:
I am learning Estonian.
You can combine it with:
Ma räägin natuke eesti keelt.
I speak a little Estonian.
27. Ma ei räägi hästi eesti keelt — I Don't Speak Estonian Well
To say:
I don't speak Estonian well
use:
Ma ei räägi hästi eesti keelt.
Useful words:
- hästi — well
- ei räägi — do not speak
This can help set expectations in a conversation.
28. Real-Life Conversation: Shop
Imagine entering a shop.
Customer:
Tere!
Hello!
Employee:
Tere!
Hello!
Customer:
Üks vesi, palun.
One water, please.
Employee:
Palun.
Here you are.
Customer:
Aitäh!
Thank you!
Employee:
Palun!
You're welcome!
Customer:
Head aega!
Goodbye!
29. Real-Life Conversation: You Don't Understand
Speaker:
Kas soovite veel midagi?
Learner:
Vabandust, ma ei saa aru.
Sorry, I don't understand.
Learner:
Palun aeglasemalt.
More slowly, please.
This is a completely acceptable beginner strategy.
You do not need to pretend to understand.
30. Real-Life Conversation: Switching to English
Learner:
Vabandust.
Excuse me.
Kas te räägite inglise keelt?
Do you speak English?
Other person:
Jah.
Yes.
You can still begin the interaction in Estonian even if the rest continues in English.
31. Useful Expression Set
Learn these as complete expressions:
| Estonian | English |
|---|---|
| Tere! | Hello! |
| Tere hommikust! | Good morning! |
| Tere õhtust! | Good evening! |
| Head aega! | Goodbye! |
| Nägemist! | Goodbye! |
| Aitäh! | Thank you! |
| Suur aitäh! | Thank you very much! |
| Palun. | Please / here you are / you're welcome |
| Vabandust. | Excuse me / sorry |
| Pole midagi. | No problem / it's nothing |
| Jah. | Yes. |
| Ei. | No. |
| Ei, aitäh. | No, thank you. |
| Ma ei saa aru. | I don't understand. |
| Palun korrake. | Please repeat. |
| Palun aeglasemalt. | More slowly, please. |
32. Language Survival Phrases
These four expressions are especially important:
Ma ei saa aru.
I don't understand.
Palun korrake.
Please repeat.
Palun aeglasemalt.
More slowly, please.
Kas te räägite inglise keelt?
Do you speak English?
If you remember these, you can manage many situations even with limited Estonian.
33. Choose the Correct Expression
1. You enter a shop.
A. Aitäh B. Tere C. Head aega
Answer:
Tere!
2. Someone gives you something.
A. Aitäh B. Ei C. Vabandust
Answer:
Aitäh!
3. You want someone to repeat.
A. Palun korrake. B. Head aega. C. Jah.
Answer:
Palun korrake.
4. You don't understand.
A. Ma ei saa aru. B. Ma olen Eestis. C. Pole midagi.
Answer:
Ma ei saa aru.
34. Translate into Estonian
Translate:
1. Hello!
2. Thank you!
3. Please.
4. Sorry.
5. No, thank you.
6. I don't understand.
7. Please repeat.
8. More slowly, please.
Answers
- Tere!
- Aitäh!
- Palun.
- Vabandust.
- Ei, aitäh.
- Ma ei saa aru.
- Palun korrake.
- Palun aeglasemalt.
35. Complete the Conversation
Fill in the missing expressions.
A:
______!
Hello!
B:
Tere!
A:
Üks kohv, ______.
One coffee, please.
B:
Palun.
A:
______!
Thank you!
B:
Palun!
Answers
Tere
palun
Aitäh
36. Speaking Practice
Read this sequence aloud:
Tere!
Vabandust.
Ma ei saa aru.
Palun korrake.
Palun aeglasemalt.
Aitäh!
Now say it again without translating into English.
The goal is to begin associating each Estonian expression directly with the situation.
37. Real-Life Challenge
Try using at least three expressions from this lesson during normal everyday interactions.
For example:
Tere!
Aitäh!
Head aega!
If someone speaks Estonian and you cannot follow:
Vabandust, ma ei saa aru.
Then:
Palun aeglasemalt.
Even a very short interaction counts as useful practice.
38. What You Should Remember
For greeting:
Tere!
For thanking:
Aitäh!
For requesting politely:
Palun.
For apologizing or getting attention:
Vabandust.
For saying no politely:
Ei, aitäh.
For saying you do not understand:
Ma ei saa aru.
For asking someone to repeat:
Palun korrake.
For asking someone to slow down:
Palun aeglasemalt.
For asking about English:
Kas te räägite inglise keelt?
Lesson Summary
You can now handle several basic social interactions entirely in Estonian.
You can:
- greet someone,
- say goodbye,
- thank someone,
- make a polite request,
- apologize,
- say yes or no,
- explain that you do not understand,
- ask someone to repeat,
- and ask them to speak more slowly.
These expressions are useful immediately.
You do not need to understand all of their grammar yet. At this stage, learn them as complete phrases connected to real situations.
In the next lesson:
Module 1 Review and Pronunciation Practice
you will review the alphabet, the nine vowels, sound length, stress, greetings, and survival expressions before moving into Module 2 — Hello, My Name Is..., where you will begin introducing yourself and having your first proper conversations in Estonian.