Estonian Greetings
Greetings are the first thing you’ll use and the easiest way to sound friendly from day one. Here are the Estonian words for hello, goodbye, please, thank you and sorry — plus the basic yes/no and pronouns that hold a simple sentence together. Tap any word to hear it spoken by a native voice.
Read them out loud
Estonian is phonetic — words are said the way they’re written. Tap the speaker on any word to hear a native voice, and remember that doubled letters (aa, öö, ss) are simply held longer. New to the sounds? Start with the alphabet & pronunciation guide.
Estonian Greetings: words & phrases
30 words · tap the speaker to hear each one.
| Audio | Estonian | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| terecommon | hello, hi | from terve "healthy" · vs tervist — tere = neutral all-purpose hello; tervist = a touch more formal/polite. | |
| tervist | hello (greeting) | partitive sg of tervis "health" · vs tere — tervist = slightly more formal hello; tere = the everyday default. | |
| head aega | goodbye | lit. "good time"; aega = partitive sg of aeg · vs hüvasti — head aega = ordinary goodbye; hüvasti = farewell for a final/long parting. | |
| nägemist | bye, see you | partitive sg of nägemine "seeing | |
| head ööd | good night | ööd = partitive sg of öö "night | |
| tänancommon | thank you, I thank | 1st pers. sg present of tänama · vs aitäh — same meaning; tänan = slightly more formal (a verb form); aitäh = everyday thanks. | |
| aitähcommon | thanks | reduction of aita jumal "(may) god help" · vs tänan — aitäh = casual everyday thanks; tänan = a bit more formal. | |
| paluncommon | please; you're welcome | 1st pers. sg present of paluma "to ask/beg | |
| vabandustcommon | sorry, excuse me | partitive sg of vabandus "apology | |
| jahcommon | yes | affirmative · vs jaa — jah = standard neutral yes; jaa = drawn-out casual "yeah". | |
| eicommon | no; not | negates non-imperative verbs (e.g. ma ei tea) | |
| minacommon | I | gen. minu, part. mind; short form ma · vs ma — mina = stressed/emphatic or contrastive; ma = unstressed default in normal speech. | |
| macommon | I (unstressed) | short form of mina · vs mina — ma = unstressed default; use mina when stressed or contrastive. | |
| sinacommon | you (sg) | gen. sinu, part. sind; short form sa · vs sa / teie — sina = stressed/emphatic; sa = unstressed default; teie = plural or polite. | |
| sacommon | you (sg, unstressed) | short form of sina · vs sina / teie — sa = unstressed default; sina = stressed; teie = plural/polite. | |
| temacommon | he, she, it | gen. tema, part. teda; short form ta · vs ta — tema = stressed/emphatic or contrastive; ta = unstressed default. | |
| tacommon | he/she/it (unstressed) | short form of tema · vs tema — ta = unstressed default; use tema when stressed or contrastive. | |
| meiecommon | we | short form me · vs me — meie = stressed/emphatic; me = unstressed default in normal speech. | |
| mecommon | we (unstressed) | short form of meie · vs meie — me = unstressed default; use meie when stressed or contrastive. | |
| teiecommon | you (pl/formal) | short form te; capitalized Teie = polite · vs te / sina — teie = stressed or polite; te = unstressed default; sina = informal singular. | |
| tecommon | you (pl, unstressed) | short form of teie · vs teie / sina — te = unstressed default; teie = stressed/polite; sina = informal singular. | |
| nemad | they | short form nad · vs nad — nemad = stressed/emphatic; nad = unstressed default in normal speech. | |
| nadcommon | they (unstressed) | short form of nemad · vs nemad — nad = unstressed default; use nemad when stressed or contrastive. | |
| nimicommon | name | gen. sg nime, part. sg nime | |
| jacommon | and | from Proto-Finnic ja · vs ning — ja = everyday "and"; ning links clauses or the last list item to avoid repeating ja. | |
| tere hommikust | good morning | lit. "hello from the morning"; hommikust = elative sg of hommik (gen. hommiku, part. hommikut) | |
| tere õhtust | good evening | lit. "hello from the evening"; õhtust = elative sg of õhtu | |
| tere tulemast | welcome | lit. "hello from coming"; tulemast = elative of the ma-infinitive tulema "to come" (not of verbal noun tulemine) | |
| hästicommon | well, fine | used in replies to kuidas käib?; comparative paremini | |
| hüvasti | farewell, goodbye | more final/formal than nägemist; used at definitive partings · vs head aega / nägemist — hüvasti = final farewell; the others are casual see-you goodbyes. |
Read a real Estonian sentence
Built only from words you’d know by this point in the Selgeks course — proof these words add up to real Estonian.
Tere, Tiiu! Mina olen Pääsu ja sina oled Tiiu, jah? Ei — tema ei ole Tiiu! Ta ei ole sina, ta ei ole mina — ta ei ole meie. Tema on Hall Mees. Nägemist!
Frequently asked questions
Tere is the everyday all-purpose “hello”. Tervist is a slightly more formal greeting. Both work any time of day.
More Estonian vocabulary
Estonian Numbers
Estonian numbers from zero to twenty and beyond — count like a local, with native audio on every number. A free beginner’s guide.
Estonian Family Words
The Estonian words for mother, father, sister, brother and the rest of the family — with native audio. A free vocabulary guide for beginners.
Essential Estonian Verbs & Connecting Words
The first Estonian verbs you need — to be, to go, to come, to eat, to drink — plus and, or, because and very. With native audio. Free.
Estonian Food & Drink Words
Estonian words for food and drink — bread, milk, coffee, water, fruit and more — with native audio. A free vocabulary guide for the shop and table.
Start your Estonian quest today
Selgeks is free to start — no account needed. Learn your first ten Estonian words in the next five minutes.
No credit card. No pressure. Your progress saves on this device instantly.