Language/Standard-estonian/Grammar/Question-words-and-interrogative-sentences

Standard Estonian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Question words and interrogative sentences

Welcome to our lesson on Question Words and Interrogative Sentences in Standard Estonian! Understanding how to ask questions is crucial in any language, as it allows you to engage in conversations, gather information, and express curiosity. In Estonian, forming questions is not just about using the right words but also about mastering sentence structure. This lesson is designed especially for complete beginners, and by the end, you’ll be able to ask and understand a variety of questions in Estonian.

Lesson Structure:

1. Introduction to Question Words

2. Forming Interrogative Sentences

3. Examples of Question Words in Use

4. Practice Exercises

5. Detailed Solutions and Explanations

Introduction to Question Words

Question words are essential tools in your language toolkit. They help you gather information and connect with others. In Estonian, these words often correspond to the English question words: who, what, where, when, why, and how. Here’s a quick list of the main question words in Estonian:

• Kes - Who

• Mis - What

• Kus - Where

• Millal - When

• Miks - Why

• Kuidas - How

Each of these words serves a unique purpose and can be used in various contexts. Let’s dive into how to formulate questions using these words.

Forming Interrogative Sentences

In Estonian, the structure of interrogative sentences usually involves placing the question word at the beginning of the sentence. This is similar to English but with some nuances. Here are some general rules for forming questions:

1. Start with the question word: Begin your sentence with the relevant question word.

2. Follow with the verb: Typically, the verb comes next.

3. Complete the sentence: Add the subject and any additional information.

Let’s look at some specific examples to illustrate how this works.

Standard Estonian	Pronunciation	English
Kes see on?	kes se on?	Who is this?
Mis see on?	mis se on?	What is this?
Kus me oleme?	kus me oleme?	Where are we?
Millal sa tuled?	millal sa tuled?	When are you coming?
Miks sa naerad?	miks sa naerad?	Why are you laughing?
Kuidas sul läheb?	kuidas sul läheb?	How are you doing?

Examples of Question Words in Use

Now that we've covered the basics, let’s explore some more complex examples using question words in different contexts:

Standard Estonian	Pronunciation	English
Kes on sinu sõber?	kes on sinu sõber?	Who is your friend?
Mis raamat see on?	mis raamat se on?	What book is this?
Kus sa elad?	kus sa elad?	Where do you live?
Millal on su sünnipäev?	millal on su sünnipäev?	When is your birthday?
Miks sa ei tule?	miks sa ei tule?	Why aren’t you coming?
Kuidas me sinna jõuame?	kuidas me sinna jõuame?	How do we get there?
Kes mängib?	kes mängib?	Who is playing?
Mis kell on?	mis kell on?	What time is it?
Kus on tualett?	kus on tualett?	Where is the restroom?
Millal sa lõpetad?	millal sa lõpetad?	When will you finish?

Practice Exercises

To solidify your understanding, let's move on to some practice exercises. These will help you apply what you’ve learned about question words and interrogative sentences.

1. Translate the following questions into Estonian:

1. Who is that?

2. What do you want?

3. Where is the market?

4. When is the meeting?

5. Why are you sad?

6. How do you know her?

2. Fill in the blanks with the correct question word (kes, mis, kus, millal, miks, kuidas):

1. ___ on see tüdruk? (Who is this girl?)

2. ___ see on? (What is this?)

3. ___ te olete? (Where are you?)

4. ___ sa tuled? (When are you coming?)

5. ___ ta nutab? (Why is she crying?)

6. ___ sa seda teed? (How do you do that?)

3. Create your own questions using the following prompts:

1. Who is your favorite teacher?

2. What is your favorite food?

3. Where do you want to travel?

4. When do you usually wake up?

5. Why do you like Estonian?

6. How do you study languages?

4. Answer the following questions in Estonian:

1. Who is your best friend?

2. What is your hobby?

3. Where do you work?

4. When is your birthday?

5. Why do you learn Estonian?

6. How do you spend your weekends?

5. Match the English questions with their Estonian translations:

1. Who is he?

2. What time is it?

3. Where is the library?

4. When do we meet?

5. Why is it raining?

6. How do you feel?

a. Kus on raamatukogu?

b. Kuidas sa end tunned?

c. Miks sajab?

d. Mis kell on?

e. Millal me kohtume?

f. Kes ta on?

6. Change the following statements into questions:

1. You are happy.

2. She is reading a book.

3. They are coming to the party.

4. He lives in Tallinn.

5. We are studying Estonian.

7. Identify the question words in the following sentences:

1. Who is your sister?

2. What do you want to eat?

3. Where do you go on weekends?

4. When does the store open?

5. Why did you call me?

8. Create a dialogue using at least five question words you’ve learned.

9. Write a short paragraph about your day using at least three questions.

10. Practice speaking by asking these questions to a partner or in front of a mirror.

Detailed Solutions and Explanations

Now that you’ve completed the exercises, let’s go through the answers together.

1. Translations:

1. Kes see on?

2. Mis sa tahad?

3. Kus on turg?

4. Millal on koosolek?

5. Miks sa oled kurb?

6. Kuidas sa teda tead?

2. Fill in the blanks:

1. Kes on see tüdruk?

2. Mis see on?

3. Kus te olete?

4. Millal sa tuled?

5. Miks ta nutab?

6. Kuidas sa seda teed?

3. Example questions: (your own answers will vary)

1. Kes on sinu lemmik õpetaja?

2. Mis on sinu lemmik toit?

3. Kus sa tahad reisida?

4. Millal sa tavaliselt ärkad?

5. Miks sa armastad eesti keelt?

6. Kuidas sa keeli õpid?

4. Sample answers: (your own answers will vary)

1. Minu parim sõber on Jaan.

2. Minu hobi on joonistamine.

3. Ma töötan kontoris.

4. Minu sünnipäev on 5. mail.

5. Ma õpin eesti keelt, sest see on huvitav.

6. Ma veedan nädalavahetusi koos sõpradega.

5. Matching:

1 - f

2 - d

3 - a

4 - e

5 - c

6 - b

6. Question transformations:

1. Kas sa oled õnnelik?

2. Kas ta loeb raamatut?

3. Kas nad tulevad peole?

4. Kas ta elab Tallinnas?

5. Kas me õpime eesti keelt?

7. Identifying question words:

1. Kes

2. Mis

3. Kus

4. Millal

5. Miks

8. Dialogue example: (your own answers will vary)

A: Kes sa oled?

B: Ma olen Mari.

A: Mis sa teed?

B: Ma õpin eesti keelt.

A: Kus sa õpid?

B: Ma õpin kodus.

9. Paragraph example: (your own answers will vary)

Täna ma ärkasin kell 8. Kes oli mu kõrval? Minu kass! Miks ta seal oli? Ta tahtis süüa. Kuidas ma alustasin oma päeva? Ma tegin hommikusööki ja lugesin raamatut.

10. Speaking practice: (your own answers will vary)

Use the questions and speak them aloud to improve your pronunciation and fluency.

This lesson has introduced you to the fundamental question words and how to form interrogative sentences in Estonian. Mastering these basics will empower you to communicate more effectively and engage in meaningful conversations. Keep practicing, and soon enough, asking questions in Estonian will become second nature to you!

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

Other Lessons

• Future Tense
• Nouns and possessive suffixes
• Articles
• Cases and pronouns
• Verbs and tenses
• Negation and word order
• Conditional Mood
• Adverbs
• 0 to A1 Course