About the Estonian Language
Estonian (eesti keel) is a Finno-Ugric language, making it a linguistic cousin of Finnish and a distant relative of Hungarian. It's spoken by approximately 1.1 million people, primarily in Estonia. Unlike most European languages, Estonian has almost no resemblance to English, German, or Russian in vocabulary or grammar.
The good news? Estonians are known for their excellent English skills, especially in Tallinn. You can absolutely get by with English alone. But learning even basic Estonian will earn you respect and make daily life smoother.
What Makes Estonian Unique
No Gender, No Articles
Estonian has no grammatical gender (no "he/she" distinction for objects) and no articles (no "a" or "the"). This actually makes some aspects simpler!
- 🇬🇧 "The big house" → 🇪🇪 "Suur maja" (big house)
- 🇬🇧 "A beautiful woman" → 🇪🇪 "Ilus naine" (beautiful woman)
14 Grammatical Cases
Instead of prepositions, Estonian uses grammatical cases. The word ending changes based on its role in the sentence. For example, "maja" (house) becomes:
- majja (into the house)
- majas (in the house)
- majast (from the house)
Don't worry about mastering this — Estonians will understand you even with case mistakes!
No Future Tense
Estonian doesn't have a dedicated future tense. Context and time words handle it:
- "Ma lähen homme" = "I go tomorrow" (understood as "I will go tomorrow")
Pronunciation Guide
Estonian pronunciation is fairly consistent — words are generally pronounced as written.
The Alphabet
Estonian uses the Latin alphabet with a few additions:
| Letter | Pronunciation | Example | |--------|---------------|---------| | Ä | Like "a" in "cat" | käsi (hand) | | Ö | Like "u" in "fur" | öö (night) | | Ü | Like German "ü" or French "u" | küla (village) | | Õ | Unique to Estonian! Close your mouth partially and say "o" | õlu (beer) |
Stress and Rhythm
- Stress is always on the first syllable
- Estonian has three vowel lengths: short, long, and extra-long
- "Koli" vs "kooli" vs "kooli" have different meanings
Consonant Tips
- Double consonants (nn, ll, ss) are held longer
- K, P, T are softer than in English (never aspirated)
- R is rolled (like Spanish or Italian)
Your First Words
The Essentials
| Estonian | Pronunciation | English | |----------|---------------|---------| | Tere | TEH-reh | Hello | | Aitäh | AH-ee-tah | Thank you | | Palun | PAH-lun | Please / You're welcome | | Jah | Yah | Yes | | Ei | Ay | No | | Vabandust | VAH-ban-dust | Sorry / Excuse me |
Numbers 1-10
| Number | Estonian | Pronunciation | |--------|----------|---------------| | 1 | üks | ewks | | 2 | kaks | kahks | | 3 | kolm | kolm | | 4 | neli | NEH-lee | | 5 | viis | vees | | 6 | kuus | koos | | 7 | seitse | SAYT-seh | | 8 | kaheksa | KAH-hek-sah | | 9 | üheksa | EW-hek-sah | | 10 | kümme | KEWM-meh |
Learning Resources
Apps
- Speakly — Made by Estonians, focuses on practical vocabulary
- Keeleklikk — Free official course from the Estonian government
- Duolingo — Has Estonian course (basic but good for daily practice)
- Mondly — Good for pronunciation practice
Courses
- Integration Foundation (integratsiooni.ee) — Free Estonian courses for residents
- Tartu University Online — Academic courses
- Private tutors — Find via Facebook groups or Preply
YouTube Channels
- Eesti Keele Maja — Official language learning content
- Estonian with Mari — Casual, engaging lessons
Why Bother Learning?
Even basic Estonian makes a real difference:
- Service with a smile — Starting with "Tere" instead of "Hi" changes the interaction
- Reading menus and signs — Most are in Estonian only
- Making friends — Older Estonians especially appreciate the effort
- Integration — Required for permanent residency and citizenship
- Cultural access — Some experiences are only available in Estonian
A Realistic Goal
For most expats, a realistic goal is:
- Conversational basics — Ordering food, shopping, greetings
- Reading essentials — Signs, menus, simple instructions
- Surviving admin — Understanding forms and basic bureaucracy
This takes about 6-12 months of casual study. Full fluency? 2-3 years of dedicated effort.
Cultural Tip
Estonians won't usually correct your Estonian mistakes — they'll just switch to English to make things easier. If you want to practice, explicitly ask: "Ma tahan harjutada eesti keelt" (I want to practice Estonian).