Language/Standard-estonian/Grammar/Adverbs

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How to form adverbs in Estonian

In today's lesson, we will learn how to form adverbs in Estonian.

While in English adverbs are usually formed by adding -ly to adjectives.

In Estonian many adverbs are formed from adjectives, simply by using the ablative case of the adjective.

Examples

• Aeglane (slow) ➡ becomes aeglaselt (slowly)
• Kaunis (beautiful) ➡ becomes kaunilt (beautifully)

Exceptions

However it's not always the case.

Some words are adverbs by nature.

Examples:

• Nüüd (now)
• tõesti (really)
• varsti (soon)

Behaviour in a Sentence

The following examples use adverbs in different ways and places to demonstrate how it behaves in a sentence.

Formula	Estonian	Translation
[pronoun + verb + adverb]	kas saate minust nüüd aru?	Do you understand me now ?
[adverb + adjective]	ta on väga intelligentne	She is very intelligent
[noun + adverb]	vajan kohe abi	I need help immediately
[adverb in a question]	kas me võiksime koos saksa keelt õppida?	Can we learn German together?
[verb + adverb]	ma jään teid alati armastama	I will always love you

Sources

• http://mylanguages.org/estonian_adverbs.php
• http://learn101.org/fr/estonien_grammaire.php

Other Lessons

• Adjectives
• Nouns
• Negation
• Future Tense
• Questions
• Articles
• Conditional Mood
• Gender
• Plurals

Table of Contents - Standard Estonian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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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

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Daily Activities

• Daily Routine
• Hobbies and Free Time

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Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Declension
• Adverbs

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Food and Dining

• Food and Drinks
• Eating Out

  ---

Estonian Traditions

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Traditional Music and Dance

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Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Phrases

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Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Prepositions
• Conjunctions

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At Home and Work

• Home and Furniture
• Work and Professions

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Estonian History

• Historical Overview
• Estonian Language History

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Negation and Questions

• Negation
• Question Words and Formation

◀️ Alphabet and Pronunciation — Previous Lesson

Next Lesson — Common Greetings ▶️