Zaban
Chapter 15 of 16 · Explore the Estonian path

Reading · Chapter 15 of 16

Try a story before you reveal the English

Read Tobi ja vihm with the pronunciation and the English hidden. The story is told in the past. Aim for the scene, then open each answer to check what you got.

≈ 4 min of reading · Practise at your own pace

What’s in this chapter
  • This time the pronunciation and the English begin hidden.
  • The story is in the past: events in -s and -i, and one denied verb in -nud.
  • Aim for the scene, not a perfect translation.
  • If you can recover who did what, you are ready for the first book.

Two new shapes before you start

Both of these say when something happened. Estonian uses the on-ending for that, where English would reach for a little word.

ühel öölEW-hel urrl“one night”the on-ending on both words, which is how Estonian says when something happened
hommikulHOHM-mi-kool“in the morning”the same on-ending on a time word: hommik plus -l

Tobi ja vihm

Read each scene aloud, say what happened, then reveal.

  1. Elas kord üks jänes. Tema nimi oli Tobi. Ta elas mäel.

    once there lived · his name

    Show answer +
    Elas kord üks jänes. Tema nimi oli Tobi. Ta elas mäel.EH-lahs kohrd ewks YA-nes. TEH-mah NI-mi OH-li TOH-bi. tah EH-lahs MA-ehl“Once there lived a rabbit. His name was Tobi. He lived on the hill.”
  2. Ühel ööl tuli suur vihm. Tobi ei näinud teed.

    A denied past.

    Show answer +
    Ühel ööl tuli suur vihm. Tobi ei näinud teed.EW-hel urrl TOO-li soohr vihm. TOH-bi ehy NAY-nood tehhd“One night a great rain came. Tobi did not see the road.”
  3. Ta nägi metsas rebast. „Kes sa oled?“ küsis Tobi.

    Two endings on the last two words of the first sentence.

    Show answer +
    Ta nägi metsas rebast. „Kes sa oled?“ küsis Tobi.tah NA-gi MET-sahs REH-bahst. kes sah OH-led? KEW-sis TOH-bi“He saw a fox in the forest. “Who are you?” asked Tobi.”
  4. „Ma olen Dara. Ma tean teed,“ ütles rebane. Nad läksid koos mäele.

    More than one doer at the end.

    Show answer +
    „Ma olen Dara. Ma tean teed,“ ütles rebane. Nad läksid koos mäele.mah OH-len DAH-rah. mah TEH-ahn tehhd, EWT-les REH-bah-neh. nahd LAK-sid kohhs MA-eh-leh““I am Dara. I know the road,” said the fox. They went onto the hill together.”
  5. Hommikul tuli päike. Nüüd oli Tobil sõber.

    No verb for “have”, and none needed.

    Show answer +
    Hommikul tuli päike. Nüüd oli Tobil sõber.HOHM-mi-kool TOO-li PAY-keh. newwd OH-li TOH-bil SUH-ber“In the morning the sun came. Now Tobi had a friend.”
Come back to these chapters whenever you need them.All Estonian chapters ↗