Estonian Words for Places Around Town
Getting around means naming places. Here are the Estonian words for the shop, market, school, hospital, bank, restaurant, library, park, station, pharmacy and more, each with native audio — and the “to / from a place” cases that go with them.
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 Words for Places Around Town: words & phrases
48 words · tap the speaker to hear each one.
| Audio | Estonian | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| linn | city, town | gen sg linna, part sg linna | |
| tänav | street | gen sg tänava, part sg tänavat | |
| pood | shop, store | gen sg poe, part sg poodi · vs kauplus — pood = everyday word for a shop; kauplus is more formal / a larger store. | |
| turg | market | gen sg turu, part sg turgu (g–ø gradation) | |
| kool | school | gen sg kooli, part sg kooli | |
| haigla | hospital | gen sg haigla, part sg haiglat (from haige "sick") | |
| pank | bank (financial) | gen sg panga, part sg panka (k–g gradation) | |
| restoran | restaurant | gen sg restorani, part sg restorani | |
| kohvik | café | gen sg kohviku, part sg kohvikut (from kohv "coffee") | |
| raamatukogu | library | gen sg raamatukogu (raamat "book" + kogu "collection") | |
| park | park | gen sg pargi, part sg parki | |
| jaam | station (railway) | gen sg jaama, part sg jaama | |
| bussijaam | bus station | gen sg bussijaama (buss + jaam) | |
| kirik | church | gen sg kiriku, part sg kirikut | |
| väljak | square, plaza | gen sg väljaku, part sg väljakut | |
| apteek | pharmacy | gen sg apteegi, part sg apteeki (k–g gradation) | |
| sild | bridge | gen sg silla, part sg silda (d–l gradation) | |
| lennujaam | airport | gen sg lennujaama (lend "flight" + jaam) | |
| vasak | left | gen sg vasaku, part sg vasakut | |
| paremcommon | right | also "better" (comparative of hea); paremale = "to the right | |
| otse | straight, directly | e.g. mine otse edasi = "go straight ahead" · vs sirge — otse = straight ahead (direction of movement); sirge = straight in shape (not curved). | |
| siincommon | here | proximal location adverb (near speaker) · vs siia — siin = here (static, answers kus?); siia = to here (movement, answers kuhu?). | |
| sealcommon | there | distal location adverb (contrasts with siin) · vs sinna — seal = there (static, kus?); sinna = to there (movement, kuhu?). | |
| hoone | building | gen. hoone, part. hoonet · vs maja — hoone = any building (neutral/larger); maja = a house or where people live. | |
| kauplus | shop, store | gen. kaupluse, part. kauplust (more formal than pood) · vs pood — kauplus = formal/official term (signage, larger store); pood = everyday spoken shop. | |
| ristmik | intersection, crossroads | gen. ristmiku, part. ristmikku (Q2–Q3 quantity gradation; k does not drop) | |
| kesklinn | city centre | gen. kesklinna, part. kesklinna (kesk "middle" + linn) | |
| rongijaam | train station | gen. rongijaama, part. rongijaama (rong "train" + jaam) | |
| bussipeatus | bus stop | gen. bussipeatuse, part. bussipeatust (buss + peatus "stop") | |
| muuseum | museum | gen. muuseumi, part. muuseumit | |
| teater | theatre | gen. teatri, part. teatrit | |
| raekoda | town hall | gen. raekoja, part. raekoda (d–j gradation) | |
| tramm | tram | gen. trammi, part. trammi | |
| metroo | metro, subway | gen. metroo, part. metrood | |
| kino | cinema | gen. kino, part. kino (type elu, no gradation) | |
| lähedal | nearby, close | adessive sg of läheda; comparative lähemal | |
| kaugel | far away | adessive sg of kauge; comparative kaugemal | |
| kõrval | next to, beside | governs genitive: maja kõrval "beside the house | |
| ees | in front of | governs genitive: poe ees "in front of the shop | |
| taga | behind | governs genitive: maja taga "behind the house | |
| ülescommon | up, upwards | directional; trepist üles "up the stairs | |
| allacommon | down, downwards | directional; also postposition + genitive | |
| mööda | along, past | governs partitive: tänavat mööda "along the street | |
| vahel | between | governs genitive: kahe maja vahel "between two houses | |
| ülecommon | across, over | governs genitive: silla üle "across the bridge | |
| kunicommon | until, up to | + terminative: kuni järgmise tänavanurgani "to the next corner | |
| pöörama | to turn | -ma inf; 1sg pres pööran; past pöörasin; da-inf pöörata · vs keerama — pöörama = turn a direction (turn left); keerama = twist/rotate, e.g. turn a key. | |
| kõndima | to walk | -ma inf; 1sg pres kõnnin; past kõndisin (nd–nn gradation) |
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.
Hommikul ma ärkan vara, tõusen ja lähen poodi. Pood on suures linnas. Ma küsin sõbralt: "Vabandust, kus on tuletorn?" Õhtul ma tulen turult tuletornile — ma lähen tuletornile! Ma istun tipus ning joon sooja kohvi. Hall Mees tuleb turult — meie läheme tuletornile!
Frequently asked questions
Pood is a shop/store and turg is a market.
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