50 Most Common Estonian Words to Learn First (with Pronunciation)
A handful of words does most of the work in any language. Learn these first and you’ll understand and say far more than fifty words’ worth. Every entry below is everyday, high-frequency Estonian — and yes, you should learn them with audio, because Estonian spelling is honest but the vowel lengths matter.
Read these out loud
Estonian is largely phonetic: letters sound the same way every time. A doubled vowel (aa, ee, uu) is held longer — and that length can change meaning. Say each word as you read it.
Greetings & politeness
| Estonian | English |
|---|---|
| Tere | Hello |
| Tere hommikust | Good morning |
| Head aega | Goodbye |
| Aitäh / Tänan | Thank you |
| Palun | Please / You’re welcome |
| Vabandust | Sorry / Excuse me |
| Jah | Yes |
| Ei | No |
Question words
Master these and you can ask for almost anything.
| Estonian | English |
|---|---|
| Mis? | What? |
| Kes? | Who? |
| Kus? | Where? |
| Millal? | When? |
| Miks? | Why? |
| Kuidas? | How? |
| Kas...? | (marks a yes/no question) |
| Kui palju? | How much? |
Survival verbs
| Estonian | English |
|---|---|
| olema | to be |
| minema | to go |
| tulema | to come |
| tahtma | to want |
| saama | to get / be able |
| tegema | to do / make |
| rääkima | to speak |
| aru saama | to understand |
Tiny words that do a lot
| Estonian | English |
|---|---|
| ja | and |
| aga | but |
| ka | also |
| ei ole / pole | is not |
| siin | here |
| seal | there |
| praegu | now |
| väga | very |
Numbers 1–10
| Estonian | English |
|---|---|
| üks | 1 |
| kaks | 2 |
| kolm | 3 |
| neli | 4 |
| viis | 5 |
| kuus | 6 |
| seitse | 7 |
| kaheksa | 8 |
| üheksa | 9 |
| kümme | 10 |
How to make them stick
- Hear them. Pair every word with native audio so length and stress lock in correctly.
- Space them. Review just before you’d forget — that’s when memory strengthens most.
- Use them in sentences. A word in a real sentence is remembered; a word on a list is forgotten.
- Be consistent. Ten minutes daily beats two hours on Sunday.
This is exactly how Selgeks’s first few stages work: high-frequency words with audio, spaced for retention, then assembled into a sentence you can read in full. Curious how the cases behind these words work? Read how hard Estonian really is.
Learn these — and 1,400 more — the fun way
Selgeks turns Estonian’s most useful words into a story-driven journey, with audio on every one. Free to start, no account.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
“Tere” is the everyday word for hello. “Tere hommikust” means good morning. It’s usually the very first Estonian word people learn.
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