Language/Standard-estonian/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be
Hi Standard Estonian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to use the verb "be" in Standard Estonian. "Be" or "olema" in Estonian is an extremely important verb as it is used to describe what or who someone or something is. You will encounter this verb in many situations, so it is essential that you understand how to use it correctly.
Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: Give your Opinion & Questions.
"Be" in Present Tense[edit | edit source]
The present tense in Estonian is quite simple when it comes to "be." In the present tense, "be" is "olen" and it is conjugated as follows:
Person | Standard Estonian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|---|
1st singular | Ma olen | ma ˈolɛn | I am |
2nd singular | Sa oled | sa ˈolɛd | You are (informal) |
3rd singular | Ta on | ta ˈon | He/She/It is |
1st plural | Me oleme | mɛ ˈolɛmɛ | We are |
2nd plural | Te olete | tɛ ˈolɛtɛ | You are (formal or plural) |
3rd plural | Nad on | nad ˈon | They are |
Here's an example of "be" in present tense:
- Person 1: Kes sa oled? (Who are you?)
- Person 2: Ma olen Maria. (I am Maria.)
"Be" in Past Tense[edit | edit source]
The past tense of "be" in Standard Estonian is a bit more complicated. In the past tense, "be" is "olnud" and its conjugation is as follows:
Person | Standard Estonian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|---|
1st singular | Ma olin | ma ˈolin | I was |
2nd singular | Sa olid | sa ˈolit | You were (informal) |
3rd singular | Ta oli | ta ˈoli | He/She/It was |
1st plural | Me olime | mɛ ˈolimɛ | We were |
2nd plural | Te olite | tɛ ˈolitɛ | You were (formal or plural) |
3rd plural | Nad olid | nad ˈolit | They were |
Here's an example of "be" in past tense:
- Person 1: Kus sa olid eile õhtul? (Where were you yesterday evening?)
- Person 2: Ma olin kodus. (I was at home.)
Negation of "Be"[edit | edit source]
To negate "be" in Estonian, you need to use the word "ei" in front of the correct form of "be." Here are the negative forms of "be" in present tense and past tense:
Negation of "Be" in Present Tense[edit | edit source]
Person | Standard Estonian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|---|
1st singular | Ma ei ole | ma ɛi ˈolɛ | I am not |
2nd singular | Sa ei ole | sa ɛi ˈolɛ | You are not (informal) |
3rd singular | Ta ei ole | ta ɛi ˈolɛ | He/She/It is not |
1st plural | Me ei ole | mɛ ɛi ˈolɛ | We are not |
2nd plural | Te ei ole | tɛ ɛi ˈolɛ | You are not (formal or plural) |
3rd plural | Nad ei ole | nad ɛi ˈolɛ | They are not |
Here's an example of negation of "be" in present tense:
- Person 1: Kas sa oled pärit Tallinnast? (Are you from Tallinn?)
- Person 2: Ei, ma ei ole pärit Tallinnast. (No, I am not from Tallinn.)
Negation of "Be" in Past Tense[edit | edit source]
Person | Standard Estonian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|---|
1st singular | Ma ei olnud | ma ɛi ˈolnut | I was not |
2nd singular | Sa ei olnud | sa ɛi ˈolnut | You were not (informal) |
3rd singular | Ta ei olnud | ta ɛi ˈolnut | He/She/It was not |
1st plural | Me ei olnud | mɛ ɛi ˈolnut | We were not |
2nd plural | Te ei olnud | tɛ ɛi ˈolnut | You were not (formal or plural) |
3rd plural | Nad ei olnud | nad ɛi ˈolnut | They were not |
Here's an example of negation of "be" in past tense:
- Person 1: Kas sa oled käinud Egiptuses? (Have you been to Egypt?)
- Person 2: Ei, ma ei ole käinud Egiptuses. (No, I have not been to Egypt.)
Interesting Facts[edit | edit source]
Did you know that Estonian, along with Finnish and Hungarian, is one of the few languages in Europe that belongs to the Uralic language family? The Uralic language family is quite unique on the continent as it is not related to the Indo-European languages that most other European languages belong to. This means that Standard Estonian, as well as these other languages, have a different grammar structure and vocabulary compared to the majority of European languages.
Practice Exercise[edit | edit source]
Now it's time to practice your "be" conjugation skills! Fill in the blanks with the correct form of "be" in Standard Estonian:
1. Ma _____ Eesti. (I am from Estonia.) 2. Ta _____ viieteistkümneaastane. (He/She/It is fifteen years old.) 3. Te _____ väga väsinud. (You are very tired. formal or plural) 4. Nad _____ õpetajad. (They are teachers.) 5. Me _____ jalgpalli mängimas. (We are playing football.)
Answers: 1. olen 2. on 3. olete 4. on 5. oleme
To improve your Standard Estonian Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Questions
- Adverbs
- Give your Opinion
- Nouns
- How to Use Have
- Articles
- Plurals
- Conditional Mood
- Gender
- Future Tense
Sources[edit | edit source]