Estonian Time, Days & Months
Talking about when something happens is everyday essential. Here are the Estonian words for today, tomorrow and yesterday, the parts of the day, and the units of time, each with native audio — the groundwork for telling the time and making plans.
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 Time, Days & Months: words & phrases
46 words · tap the speaker to hear each one.
| Audio | Estonian | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| tänacommon | today | from tänapäev; not comparable | |
| homme | tomorrow | not comparable | |
| eile | yesterday | not comparable | |
| hommik | morning | gen hommiku, part hommikut | |
| päev | day | gen päeva, part päeva | |
| õhtu | evening | gen õhtu, part õhtut | |
| öö | night | gen öö, part ööd | |
| nädal | week | gen nädala, part nädalat | |
| kuu | month; moon | gen kuu, part kuud | |
| aasta | year | gen aasta, part aastat | |
| tund | hour; lesson | gen tunni, part tundi | |
| minut | minute | gen minuti, part minutit | |
| esmaspäev | Monday | gen/part esmaspäeva | |
| teisipäev | Tuesday | gen/part teisipäeva | |
| kolmapäev | Wednesday | gen/part kolmapäeva | |
| neljapäev | Thursday | gen/part neljapäeva | |
| reede | Friday | gen reede, part reedet | |
| laupäev | Saturday | gen/part laupäeva | |
| pühapäev | Sunday | gen/part pühapäeva; from püha + päev | |
| vara | early | comparative varem | |
| hilja | late | comparative hiljem; antonym vara | |
| nüüdcommon | now | not comparable · vs praegu — nüüd = now (from now on, a change); praegu = right at this moment, currently. | |
| praegucommon | now, at the moment | lit. "the suitable time" (paras + aeg) · vs nüüd — praegu = right now, at the moment; nüüd = now (signals a new state or change). | |
| aegcommon | time; age | gen. aja, part. aega · vs kord — aeg = time as duration/period; kord = time as an occasion or instance (one time, this time). | |
| sekund | second | gen. sekundi, part. sekundit | |
| hetk | moment | gen. hetke, part. hetke | |
| pärastlõuna | afternoon | gen. pärastlõuna, part. pärastlõunat | |
| keskpäev | noon, midday | gen. keskpäeva, part. keskpäeva · vs lõuna — both = noon/midday; lõuna also means south and lunch, keskpäev is only the time. | |
| kesköö | midnight | gen. kesköö, part. keskööd | |
| veerand | quarter | gen. veerandi, part. veerandit; veerand kolm = quarter past two | |
| igacommon | every, each | gen. iga, part. igat; no plural | |
| algama | to begin, start | da-inf alata; 1sg pres algan; past algasin · vs alustama — algama = intransitive (an event begins); alustama = transitive (someone starts something). | |
| lõppema | to end, finish | da-inf lõppeda; 3sg pres lõppeb; past lõppes · vs lõpetama — lõppema = intransitive (something ends); lõpetama = transitive (someone finishes something). | |
| kestma | to last, continue | da-inf kesta; 1sg pres kestan; past kestsin | |
| jaanuar | January | gen. jaanuari, part. jaanuarit | |
| veebruar | February | gen. veebruari, part. veebruarit | |
| märts | March | gen. märtsi, part. märtsi | |
| aprill | April | gen. aprilli, part. aprilli | |
| mai | May | gen. mai, part. maid | |
| juuni | June | gen. juuni, part. juunit | |
| juuli | July | gen. juuli, part. juulit | |
| august | August | gen. augusti, part. augustit | |
| september | September | gen. septembri, part. septembrit | |
| oktoober | October | gen. oktoobri, part. oktoobrit | |
| november | November | gen. novembri, part. novembrit | |
| detsember | December | gen. detsembri, part. detsembrit |
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.
Kell on kaheksa hommikul — ma ärkan vara! Täna on esmaspäev. Millal tuleb Hall Mees? Kell viis õhtul? Me läheme teisipäeval, kell seitse hommikul. Öö on külm, hommik on soe. Oktoober on siin! Hall Mees tuleb — meie ka läheme.
Frequently asked questions
Täna (today), homme (tomorrow), eile (yesterday).
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