Lessons for English speakers
Learn to read Estonian
A short, active path into reading Estonian: four new vowel letters and nine real words decoded before anything is explained, endings where English has little words, the verb that never changes after ei, and two short stories before your first book.
13 core sections · ≈ 33 min + 3 optional lookups · ≈ 46 min with everything
15
A new reading: try it before revealing help
≈ 3 min
What you'll learn
- 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
| 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.
- Elas kord üks jänes. Tema nimi oli Tobi. Ta elas mäel.
once there lived · his name
Show answer +Hide 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.” - Ühel ööl tuli suur vihm. Tobi ei näinud teed.
A denied past.
Show answer +Hide 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.” - Ta nägi metsas rebast. „Kes sa oled?“ küsis Tobi.
Two endings on the last two words of the first sentence.
Show answer +Hide 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.” - „Ma olen Dara. Ma tean teed,“ ütles rebane. Nad läksid koos mäele.
More than one doer at the end.
Show answer +Hide 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.” - Hommikul tuli päike. Nüüd oli Tobil sõber.
No verb for “have”, and none needed.
Show answer +Hide 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.”