Language/Standard-estonian/Vocabulary/Animals

Standard Estonian Vocabulary - Animals

Hi Standard Estonian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about animals in Estonian. Animals play an important part in Estonian culture and nature. We will cover both domestic and wild animals, and we will also look at some interesting facts about Estonian animals.

With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: Standard Estonian Vocabulary: Food and Dining: Food and Drinks, Education, Health & Work and employment.

Domestic animals

Domestic animals are animals that have been domesticated by humans to serve various purposes like providing food, clothing, transportation, work, and companionship.

Here are some of the most common domestic animals in Estonia:

Standard Estonian	Pronunciation	English
Lehm	[lehm]	Cow
Hobune	[hobune]	Horse
Lammas	[lammas]	Sheep
Siga	[siga]	Pig
Kana	[kana]	Chicken
Kass	[kass]	Cat
Koer	[koer]	Dog

Dialogue:

• Person 1: Kas sul on koer? ([Do you have a dog?])
• Person 2: Jah, mul on kaks koera. ([Yes, I have two dogs.])

Wild animals

Wild animals are animals that live independently in their natural habitats without any human intervention. Estonia has a diverse range of wildlife, thanks to its varied landscape, forests, and coastal areas.

Here are some of the most common wild animals in Estonia:

Standard Estonian	Pronunciation	English
Sõralised	[sõralised]	Hoofed mammals
Metssead	[metssead]	Wild boars
Põder	[põder]	Moose
Hunt	[hunt]	Wolf
Rebane	[rebane]	Fox
Karu	[karu]	Bear

Did you know that Estonia has the highest number of brown bears in Europe? 🐻

Dialogue:

• Person 1: Kas oled näinud hunti metsas? ([Have you seen a wolf in the forest?])
• Person 2: Jah, ma nägin hunti eile õhtul. ([Yes, I saw a wolf last night.])

Animal idioms

Finally, let's look at some idioms involving animals. Idioms are phrases that have a figurative meaning, usually different from their literal meaning.

Here are some examples of Estonian animal idioms:

Standard Estonian	Pronunciation	English
Jänesed jooksevad üle põllu.	[jänesed jooksevad üle põllu]	Rabbits are running across the field. (idiom: everything is going smoothly)
Tutti linna peal	[tutti linna peal]	Like an owl in the city. (idiom: feeling out of place)
Nagu ämblik võrgus	[nagu ämblik võrgus]	Like a spider in the web. (idiom: having everything under control)

To improve your Standard Estonian Vocabulary, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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Other Lessons

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• How to Say Hello and Greetings
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