Greetings & Basics
Master these first — you'll use them multiple times daily.
Hello & Goodbye
| Estonian | Pronunciation | English | When to Use | |----------|---------------|---------|-------------| | Tere | TEH-reh | Hello | Universal, any time of day | | Tere hommikust | TEH-reh HOM-mee-kust | Good morning | Before noon | | Tere päevast | TEH-reh PAH-eh-vast | Good afternoon | Noon to evening | | Tere õhtust | TEH-reh UHT-tust | Good evening | After ~6pm | | Head aega | Heh-ahd AH-eh-gah | Goodbye | Polite farewell | | Nägemist | NAH-geh-mist | See you | Casual farewell | | Head ööd | Heh-ahd UU-d | Good night | Before sleeping | | Tsau | Tsow | Bye/Hi | Very casual, with friends |
Polite Essentials
| Estonian | Pronunciation | English | |----------|---------------|---------| | Aitäh | AH-ee-tah | Thank you | | Suur aitäh | Soor AH-ee-tah | Thank you very much | | Palun | PAH-lun | Please / You're welcome | | Vabandust | VAH-ban-dust | Sorry / Excuse me | | Pole midagi | POH-leh MEE-dah-gee | No problem / Don't mention it | | Jah | Yah | Yes | | Ei | Ay | No |
Meeting People
| Estonian | Pronunciation | English | |----------|---------------|---------| | Kuidas läheb? | KOO-ee-das LAH-heb | How are you? / How's it going? | | Hästi, aitäh | HAS-tee, AH-ee-tah | Fine, thanks | | Mis su nimi on? | Mees soo NEE-mee on | What's your name? (casual) | | Minu nimi on... | MEE-noo NEE-mee on | My name is... | | Meeldiv tutvuda | MEEL-div TOOT-voo-dah | Nice to meet you | | Kust sa pärit oled? | Koost sah PAH-rit OH-led | Where are you from? | | Ma olen pärit... | Mah OH-len PAH-rit | I'm from... |
Shopping & Restaurants
Getting Service
| Estonian | Pronunciation | English | |----------|---------------|---------| | Vabandage | VAH-ban-dah-geh | Excuse me (to get attention) | | Palun menüüd | PAH-lun meh-NEWD | Menu, please | | Palun arvet | PAH-lun AR-vet | Bill, please | | Kas ma võin maksta? | Kahs mah VUIN MAHKS-tah | Can I pay? | | Kaardiga | KAAR-dee-gah | By card | | Sularahas | SOO-lah-rah-has | In cash |
Ordering Food
| Estonian | Pronunciation | English | |----------|---------------|---------| | Ma soovin... | Mah SOH-veen | I would like... | | Üks kohv, palun | Ewks kohv, PAH-lun | One coffee, please | | Üks õlu, palun | Ewks UH-loo, PAH-lun | One beer, please | | Vett, palun | Vet, PAH-lun | Water, please | | Koos piimaga | Kohs PEE-mah-gah | With milk | | Ilma suhkruta | EEL-mah SOOH-kroo-tah | Without sugar | | Kas teil on...? | Kahs tayl on | Do you have...? | | Head isu! | Heh-ahd EE-soo | Enjoy your meal! | | Terviseks! | TER-vee-seks | Cheers! (when drinking) |
Dietary Needs
| Estonian | Pronunciation | English | |----------|---------------|---------| | Ma olen taimetoitlane | Mah OH-len TAY-meh-TOIT-lah-neh | I'm vegetarian | | Ma olen vegan | Mah OH-len VEH-gahn | I'm vegan | | Gluteenivaba | GLOO-teh-nee-vah-bah | Gluten-free | | Mul on allergia... | Mool on ah-LEHR-gee-ah | I'm allergic to... | | pähklite vastu | PAH-klee-teh VAHS-too | ...to nuts | | piima vastu | PEE-mah VAHS-too | ...to dairy |
Getting Around
Directions
| Estonian | Pronunciation | English | |----------|---------------|---------| | Kus on...? | Koos on | Where is...? | | tualett | too-ah-LET | toilet | | metroo | MET-roh | metro | | bussipeatus | BOOS-see-PEH-ah-toos | bus stop | | trammipeatus | TRAHM-mee-PEH-ah-toos | tram stop | | Vasakule | VAH-sah-koo-leh | To the left | | Paremale | PAH-reh-mah-leh | To the right | | Otse | OT-seh | Straight ahead |
Transport
| Estonian | Pronunciation | English | |----------|---------------|---------| | Üks pilet, palun | Ewks PEE-let, PAH-lun | One ticket, please | | Kuhu see buss läheb? | KOO-hoo seh boos LAH-heb | Where does this bus go? | | Kas see peatub...? | Kahs seh PEH-ah-toob | Does this stop at...? | | Järgmine peatus | YAHR-gmee-neh PEH-ah-toos | Next stop |
Emergency Phrases
| Estonian | Pronunciation | English | |----------|---------------|---------| | Appi! | AHP-pee | Help! | | Kutsuge politsei! | KOOT-soo-geh poh-LIT-say | Call the police! | | Kutsuge kiirabi! | KOOT-soo-geh KEE-rah-bee | Call an ambulance! | | Ma vajan arsti | Mah VAH-yahn AHR-stee | I need a doctor | | Kus on apteek? | Koos on ahp-TEEK | Where is the pharmacy? | | Ma olen eksinud | Mah OH-len EK-see-nood | I'm lost |
Useful Questions
| Estonian | Pronunciation | English | |----------|---------------|---------| | Kas te räägite inglise keelt? | Kahs teh RAH-gee-teh ING-lee-seh kaylt | Do you speak English? | | Ma ei räägi eesti keelt | Mah ay RAH-gee EHS-tee kaylt | I don't speak Estonian | | Ma ei saa aru | Mah ay sah AH-roo | I don't understand | | Kas te saaksite korrata? | Kahs teh SAHK-see-teh KOR-rah-tah | Could you repeat that? | | Palun rääkige aeglasemalt | PAH-lun RAH-kee-geh AYG-lah-seh-mahlt | Please speak more slowly | | Kuidas seda öeldakse? | KOO-ee-das SEH-dah UHL-dahk-seh | How do you say this? | | Mis see on? | Mees seh on | What is this? | | Kui palju see maksab? | Koo-ee PAHL-yoo seh MAHK-sahb | How much is this? |
Social Phrases
| Estonian | Pronunciation | English | |----------|---------------|---------| | Tore sind näha! | TOH-reh sind NAH-hah | Nice to see you! | | Kuidas sul läheb? | KOO-ee-das sool LAH-heb | How are you doing? | | Mis uudist? | Mees OO-deest | What's new? | | Palju õnne! | PAHL-yoo UN-neh | Congratulations! | | Palju õnne sünnipäevaks! | PAHL-yoo UN-neh SEWN-nee-PAH-eh-vahks | Happy birthday! | | Head reisi! | Heh-ahd RAY-see | Have a good trip! | | Ilusat päeva! | EE-loo-saht PAH-eh-vah | Have a nice day! | | Head nädalavahetust! | Heh-ahd NAH-dah-lah-VAH-heh-toost | Have a good weekend! |
At Work
| Estonian | Pronunciation | English | |----------|---------------|---------| | Tere, siin on [name] | TEH-reh, seen on | Hello, this is [name] | | Kas [name] on kohal? | Kahs [name] on KOH-hahl | Is [name] there? | | Üks hetk, palun | Ewks hetk, PAH-lun | One moment, please | | Ma helistan tagasi | Mah HEH-lee-stahn TAH-gah-see | I'll call back |
Weather Small Talk
Estonians love talking about weather — it's always a safe topic!
| Estonian | Pronunciation | English | |----------|---------------|---------| | Ilus ilm täna! | EE-loos eelm TAH-nah | Nice weather today! | | Külm on! | Kewlm on | It's cold! | | Palav on! | PAH-lahv on | It's hot! | | Sajab vihma | SAH-yahb VEEH-mah | It's raining | | Sajab lund | SAH-yahb loond | It's snowing |
Pro Tips
- Start with "Tere" — Even if you continue in English, starting with Estonian makes a difference
- "Palun" is magic — Use it generously. It means both "please" and "you're welcome"
- Smile matters — Estonians may seem reserved but appreciate friendly effort
- Don't apologize for bad Estonian — Just try! They respect the attempt
- Learn numbers — Even basic numbers help with prices and addresses
Quick Reference Card
Save this for your phone:
Hello: Tere (TEH-reh)
Thank you: Aitäh (AH-ee-tah)
Please: Palun (PAH-lun)
Yes/No: Jah/Ei (Yah/Ay)
Sorry: Vabandust (VAH-ban-dust)
Do you speak English?: Kas te räägite inglise keelt?
I don't understand: Ma ei saa aru
How much?: Kui palju see maksab?
Cheers!: Terviseks! (TER-vee-seks)