Language/Standard-estonian/Vocabulary/Eating-Out

Standard Estonian → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Food and Dining → Eating Out

Eating out at a restaurant is a popular activity in Estonia, especially in larger cities like Tallinn and Tartu. In this lesson, you will learn useful phrases and vocabulary related to eating out in Estonian. From asking for a table to ordering from the menu and paying the bill, you will gain confidence in having a conversation in a restaurant setting.

Phrases

Here are some common phrases to use when eating out:

• Kas teil on vaba laud? (Do you have a free table?)
• Palun menüüd (Can I have the menu, please?)
• Mida soovitate? (What do you recommend?)
• Ma võtan selle (I'll have this one)
• Kuidas teile meeldib, et liha küpseks? (How do you like your meat cooked?)
• Palun arvet (Can I have the bill, please?)
• Aitäh, oli väga maitsev (Thank you, it was very tasty)
• Head aega! (Goodbye!)

Vocabulary

Here is some food and dining vocabulary to help you when eating out in Estonian:

Standard Estonian	Pronunciation	English
toit	['toi̯t]	food
jook	['joːk]	drink
hommikusöök	['homikusøːk]	breakfast
lõunasöök	['lɤunasoːk]	lunch
õhtusöök	['ɤhtusøːk]	dinner
supp	['supː]	soup
salat	['salat]	salad
liha	['lihɑ]	meat
kala	['kɑlɑ]	fish
kanaliha	['kɑnɑlihɑ]	chicken
sealiha	['seɑlihɑ]	pork
veiseliha	['veiseliɑ]	beef
riis	['riis]	rice
kartul	['kɑrtul]	potato
köögivili	['køːgivili]	vegetables
puuvili	['puːvili]	fruit
leib	['leib]	bread
või	['vɤi]	butter
suhkur	['suxur]	sugar
sool	[soːl]	salt
pipar	['pipɑr]	pepper

Ordering food

When ordering food at a restaurant in Estonia, it's important to know how to ask for what you want. Here are some useful phrases:

• Ma tahaksin... (I would like...)
• Üks supp ja üks salat, palun. (One soup and one salad, please.)
• Kas see tuleb koos kartulitega? (Does it come with potatoes?)
• Kuidas see valmistatakse? (How is it prepared?)
• Mulle meeldib keskmiselt küps liha. (I like my meat cooked medium.)
• Kas ma saan veel... (Can I have more...)

Remember to use "palun" (please) and "aitäh" (thank you) when ordering food.

Paying the bill

When it's time to pay the bill, you may want to use the following phrases:

• Palun arvet (Can I have the bill, please?)
• Kas kaardiga saab maksta? (Can I pay with a card?)
• See on korras. (This is fine.)
• Aitäh, oli väga maitsev. (Thank you, it was very tasty.)

Remember to check if the bill includes the "teenindus" (service charge). If the service was good, it's customary to leave a small tip.

Practice

Now that you know some useful phrases and vocabulary related to eating out in Estonian, it's time to practice! Here are some conversation starters to help you get started:

• Tere! Kas teil on vaba laud? (Hello! Do you have a free table?)
• Tere! Siin on kaks inimest. (Hello! There are two of us.)
• Kas ma saan menüüd näha, palun? (Can I see the menu, please?)
• Mida soovitate? (What do you recommend?)
• Ma võtan selle ja veel klaasi veini. (I'll have this and a glass of wine.)
• Kuidas teile meeldib, et liha küpseks? (How do you like your meat cooked?)
• Palun arvet. (Can I have the bill, please?)

Remember to use "palun" (please) and "aitäh" (thank you) when practicing.

Conclusion

In this lesson, you learned useful phrases and vocabulary related to eating out in Estonian. Now that you know how to ask for a table, order from the menu, and pay the bill, you're ready to practice having conversations in a restaurant setting. With practice, you'll gain confidence and fluency in speaking Estonian. Happy eating!

Table of Contents - Standard Estonian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Estonian

• Alphabet and Pronunciation
• Basic Sentence Structure

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Common Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Noun Cases
• Personal Pronouns

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

  ---

Daily Activities

• Daily Routine
• Hobbies and Free Time

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Declension
• Adverbs

  ---

Food and Dining

• Food and Drinks
• Eating Out

  ---

Estonian Traditions

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Traditional Music and Dance

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Phrases

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Prepositions
• Conjunctions

  ---

At Home and Work

• Home and Furniture
• Work and Professions

  ---

Estonian History

• Historical Overview
• Estonian Language History

  ---

Negation and Questions

• Negation
• Question Words and Formation

Related Lessons

• Drinks
• Education
• Travel Phrases
• Time
• Countries
• Animals
• Sports
• Colors
• Work and employment
• Common Greetings