Language/Standard-estonian/Grammar/Verbs-and-tenses

Standard Estonian → Grammar → Verbs and tenses

Verbs and tenses

In this lesson, you will learn about Estonian verb conjugation and how to use past, present and future tenses. Verbs are essential components of speech, as they indicate actions, states or occurrences.

Estonian verb conjugation

Unlike English, Estonian verbs do not change their form according to the subject of the sentence. Instead, the personal pronoun is added to the verb stem. This means that the verb remains the same, regardless of whether the subject is singular or plural, first or third person.

Let's take the verb "to work" as an example:

Standard Estonian	Pronunciation	English Translation
töötama	[tøːˈtɑmɑ]	to work

To form a present or future tense sentence, it is necessary to add the personal pronoun to the verb stem. For example:

• Mina töötan - I work
• Sina töötad - You work (singular)
• Ta töötab - He/she works
• Meie töötame - We work
• Teie töötate - You work (plural)
• Nad töötavad - They work

The same structure applies to past tense, but with the addition of the appropriate suffix according to the verb type. Estonian verbs are divided into two types: strong and weak. Strong verbs have a vowel change in the stem, while weak verbs add "-s" or "-is" to the infinitive.

Here are some examples:

Standard Estonian	Pronunciation	English Translation
küsima (weak verb)	[ˈkysimɑ]	to ask
küsisin	[ˈkysisʲin]	I asked
tulema (strong verb)	[ˈtulemɑ]	to come
tulin	[ˈtulin]	I came

Past, present and future tenses

Just like in English, Estonian verbs have three tenses: past, present and future. Here are some examples:

• Mina töötasin - I worked (past)
• Sina töötad - You work (present)
• Ta töötab - He/she works (present)
• Meie töötame - We work (present)
• Teie töötate - You work (present)
• Nad töötavad - They work (present)
• Mina töötan homme - I will work tomorrow (future)
• Sina töötad homme - You will work tomorrow (future)
• Ta töötab homme - He/she will work tomorrow (future)
• Meie töötame homme - We will work tomorrow (future)
• Teie töötate homme - You will work tomorrow (future)
• Nad töötavad homme - They will work tomorrow (future)

Note that the auxiliary verb "will" does not exist in Estonian, as the future tense is indicated by the addition of the adverb "homme" (tomorrow) or another time expression.

Practice

Practice makes perfect, so here are some exercises for you to try:

1. Complete the table with the correct form of the verb "to eat":

Personal Pronoun	Present	Past	Future
Mina
Sina
Ta
Meie
Teie
Nad

2. Complete the sentence with the correct form of the verb "to drink":
• Mina ___ vett.
• Ta ___ kohvi hommikul.
• Meie ___ teed õhtul.
• Nad ___ õlut baaris.
3. Translate the following sentences into Estonian:
• I will travel to Estonia next year.
• We worked hard yesterday.
• She is studying Estonian at university.
• They will visit Tallinn for the first time.

Conclusion

Verbs and tenses are important elements of Estonian grammar, as they allow us to express actions and states. By understanding Estonian verb conjugation and the use of past, present and future tenses, you will be able to communicate more effectively in Estonian.

Related Lessons

• Nouns and possessive suffixes
• Give your Opinion
• Conditional Mood
• Cases and pronouns
• Adjectives and comparison
• How to Use Have
• Gender
• Negation
• Question words and interrogative sentences