; ...1st. class ticket. : ...pirmās klases biļetes. (''PIHR-mahhs KLAH-sehs BIH-lyeht-tehs'')
; ...1st. class ticket. : ...pirmās klases biļetes. (''PIHR-mahhs KLAH-sehs BIH-lyeht-tehs'')
−
; ...2nd. class ticket. :
+
; ...2nd. class ticket. : ...teise klassi pilet. (''TAY-seh KLAHS-sih PIH-leht'')
====Bus and train====
====Bus and train====
Revision as of 13:17, 7 January 2011
Estonian (eesti keel) is a Finno-Ugric language spoken by roughly 1.1 million people in Estonia. Though closely related to Finnish and distantly to Hungarian, Estonian bears almost no resemblance to any other European language in either vocabulary or grammar.
The lack of Indo-European language structures makes Estonian a rather difficult language to learn. The fact that it has more words of Indo-European origin than Finnish, for instance, it is slightly easier to learn. Even though many people in Estonia (especially young people) speak English and many of the older generation understand Russian, an attempt at some basic phrases will definitely impress the locals and you will receive an enthusiastic welcome.
Written Estonian is based on the Latin alphabet and uses 27 letters:
a b d e f g h i j k l m n o p r s š z ž t u v õ ä ö ü
Additionally, the letters c, q, w, x, and y are used in foreign proper names and quotes.
Pronunciation is fairly straightforward. Most words are pronounced as they are written, with a major exception being vowel length (see below).
Vowels
a
like a in father
e
like e in get
i
like ee in flee
o
like o in order
u
like oo in moon
ä
like a in hat
ö
like German ö, similar to e in her
ü
like German ü, similar to ew in few
õ
a uniquely Estonian sound pronounced with the tongue in the same position as the o sound, but with lips unrounded; kind of halfway between the e in get and the u in hung
The duration of vowel sounds can be short, long, or overlong, depending on the word. Short vowels are written with one letter, long and overlong vowels with two. Overlong vowels often change the pitch or stress of the syllable as well as the duration. There is no written distinction between long and overlong vowels. Example:
short
sada (SAH-dah)
→
one hundred
long
saada (SAAH-dah)
→
send!
overlong
saada (SAAAH-dah)
→
to get
Consonants
c
like ts in hats
h
silent at the beginning of a word; before a vowel like English h; before a consonant harshly pronounced guttural h
j
like y in yes
q
like k in kitchen
r
trilled, like Spanish rr
s
like s in soap
š
like sh in shoe
ž
like s in measure
w
like v in very
x
like x in excite [ks sound]
b d f g k l m n p t v y z
pronounced as in English
Consonants can appear doubled, such as kk, pp, tt, etc., and are pronounced by inserting a glottal stop or prolonging the duration of the consonant.
Diphthongs
ae
as the 'ie' in "diet" [two sounds]
ai
as the 'ai' in "aisle"
äe
as the 'ae' in "aesthetic"
Stress
The first syllable of a word is always stressed except foreign words which can have an accent mark showing the stressed syllable. For example: Améerika (ah-MEHH-ree-kah).
Phrase list
Basics
Hello.
Tervist. (TEHR-veest)
Hello. (informal)
Tere. (TEHR-reh)
How are you?
Kuidas käsi käib? (KOO-ee-dahs KA-see KA-eeb?)
Fine, thank you.
Tänan, hästi. (TA-nahn, HASS-tee)
What is your name?
Mis on teie nimi? (MEES ohn teh-yeh NEE-mee?)
My name is ______ .
Minu nimi on ______ . (MEE-noo NEE-mee ohn _____ .)
Nice to meet you.
Meeldiv teid kohata. (MAAYL-deev tayd KO-hah-tah)
Please. / You're welcome
Palun. (PAH-loon)
Thank you.
Tänan. (TA-nahn)
Yes.
Jah. (YAHH)
No.
Ei. (ay)
Excuse me.
Vabanda. (VAH-bahn-dah)
I'm sorry.
Vabandust. (VAH-bahn-doost)
Goodbye
Head aega. (HEH-ahd AH-eh-gah.)
Goodbye (informal)
Nägemist (NAH-geh-mist)
I can't speak [much] Estonian.
Ma ei räägi [palju] eesti keelt. (MAH ay RAA-gee [PAHL-yoo] EHS-tee KEHLT)
Do you speak English?
Kas te räägite inglise keelt? (KAHS teh RAA-gee-teh EENG-lee-seh KEHLT?)
Is there someone here who speaks English?
Kas on keegi siin kes räägib inglise keelt? (kahs ohn KEH-key seen kehs RAA-keyeb EEN-klee-seh kehlt?)
Help!
Aidake! (IGH-dak-keh!)
Watch out!
Olge ettevaatlik! (OHL-geh EHT-teh-vaaht-leek!)
Good morning.
Tere hommikust. (TEH-reh HOHM-mee-koost)
Good evening.
Tere õhtust. (TEH-reh HOOKH-toost)
Good night.
Head ööd. (HEH-ahd hird) [ööd-similar to the 'ird' in "bird"]
I don't understand.
Ma ei saa aru. (MAH ay sahh AH-roo)
Where is the toilet?
Kus on tualett? (KOOS ohn TWAH-let?)
Problems
Leave me alone.
Jäta mind rahule. (YA-tah meend rah-HOO-leh)
Don't touch me!
Ära puuduta mind! (A-rah poo-OODOO-tah meend)
I'll call the police.
Ma kutsun politsei. (mah KOOT-soon poh-LEET-say)
Police!
Politsei! (poh-LEET-say)
Stop! Thief!
Stop! Varas! (stohp VAH-rahs!)
I need your help.
Ma vajan teie abi. (mah VAH-yahn TAY-ee-eh AH-bee)
It's an emergency.
See on hädaolukord. (sehh ohn ha-dow-LOO-kohrd)
I'm lost.
Ma olen eksinud. (mah OH-lehn ehk-SEE-nood)
I lost my bag.
Ma kaotasin oma koti. (mah kah-oh-TAH-seen OH-mah KOH-tee)
I lost my wallet.
Ma kaotasin oma rahakoti. (mah kah-oh-TAH-seen OH-mah rah-HAH-koh-tee)
I'm sick.
Ma olen haige. (mah OH-lehn HAI-geh)
I've been injured.
Ma olen vigastatud. (mah OH-lehn vee-gahs-TAH-tood)
I need a doctor.
Ma vajan arsti. (mah VAH-yahn AHRS-tee)
Can I use your phone?
Kas ma võiksin teie telefoni kasutada? (kahs mah vehh-EEK-seen teh-ee-eh teh-LEH-foh-nee kah-SOO-tah-dah?)
Numbers
0
null (nool)
1
üks (ewks)
2
kaks (kahks)
3
kolm (kohlm)
4
neli (NEH-lee)
5
viis (veess)
6
kuus (kooss)
7
seitse (SAYT-seh)
8
kaheksa (KAH-hek-sah)
9
üheksa (EW-hek-sah)
10
kümme (KEWM-meh)
11
üksteist (EWKS-tayst)
12
kaksteist (KAHKS-tayst)
13
kolmteist (KOHLM-tayst)
14
neliteist (NEH-lee-tayst)
15
viisteist (VEESS-tayst)
16
kuusteist (KOOSS-tayst)
17
seitseteist (SAYT-seh-tayst)
18
kaheksateist (KAH-hek-sah-tayst)
19
üheksateist (EW-hek-sah-tayst)
20
kakskümmend (KAHKS-kewm-mend)
21
kakskümmend üks (KAHKS-kewm-mend EWKS)
22
kakskümmend kaks (KAHKS-kewm-mend KAHKS)
23
kakskümmend kolm (KAHKS-kewm-mend KOHLM)
30
kolmkümmend (KOHLM-kewm-mend)
40
nelikümmend (NEH-lee-kewm-mend)
50
viiskümmend (VEESS-kewm-mend)
60
kuuskümmend (KOOSS-kewm-mend)
70
seitsekümmend (SAYT-seh-kewm-mend)
80
kaheksakümmend (KAH-hek-sah-kewm-mend)
90
üheksakümmend (EW-hek-sah-kewm-mend)
100
sada (SAH-dah)
200
kakssada (KAHKS-sah-dah)
300
kolmsada (KOHLM-sah-dah)
1000
tuhat (TOO-haht)
2000
kaks tuhat (KAHKS TOO-haht)
1,000,000
miljon (MEEL-yohn)
1,000,000,000
miljard (MEEL-yahrd)
1,000,000,000,000
biljon (BEEL-yohn)
number _____ (train, bus, etc.)
number _____ (NOOM-behr _____)
half
pool (pohl)
less
vähem (VA-hehm)
more
enam (EH-nahm)
Time
now
nüüd (newd)
later
hiljem (HEEL-yehm)
before
enne (EHN-neh)
morning
hommik (HOHM-meek)
afternoon
pärastlõuna (PA-rahst-LUHR-oo-nah)
evening
õhtu (UHRHH-too)
night
öö (urr)
Clock time
Estonia uses a 24 hour clock for most things
one o'clock AM
kell üks (kehl EWKS)
two o'clock AM
kell kaks (kehl KAHKS)
noon
keskpäev (KEHSK-pa-ehv)
one o'clock PM
kell kolmteist (kehl KOHLM-tayst)
two o'clock PM
kell neliteist (kehl NEH-lee-tayst)
midnight
kesköö (KEHSK-urr)
Duration
_____ minute(s)
_____ minut(it) (MEEH-noot(-eet))
_____ hour(s)
_____ tund(i) (TOOND(/-dee))
_____ day(s)
_____ päev(a) (PIGHV(/-vah))
_____ week(s)
_____ nädal(at) (NA-dahl(/-laht))
_____ month(s)
_____ kuu(d) (KOOH(D))
_____ year(s)
_____ aasta(t) (AH-stah(t))
Days
today
täna (TAH-nah)
yesterday
eile (AY-leh)
tomorrow
homme (HOHM-meh)
this week
sel nädalal (sehl NAH-dah-lahl)
last week
möödunud nädalal (MERR-duh-nuhd NAH-dah-lahl)
next week
järgmisel nädalal (YARG-mee-sehl NAH-dah-lahl)
Sunday
pühapäev (PEW-hah-paehv)
Monday
esmaspäev (ESS-mahs-paehv)
Tuesday
teisipäev (TAY-see-paehv)
Wednesday
kolmapäev (KOHL-mah-paehv)
Thursday
neljapäev (NEHL-yah-paehv)
Friday
reede (RREH-deh)
Saturday
laupäev (LAH-oo-paehv)
Months
January
jaanuar (YAAH-noo-ahr)
February
veebruar (VEH-broo-ahr)
March
märts (MARTS)
April
aprill (AH-preell)
May
mai (MAH-ee)
June
juuni (YOO-nee)
July
juuli (YOO-lee)
August
august (AH-oo-goost)
September
september (SEHP-tehm-behr)
October
oktoober (OHK-toh-behr)
November
november (NOH-vehm-behr)
December
detsember (DEHT-sehm-behr)
Writing time and date
Estonia like most of Europe follow the 24 hour clock.
half past ...
pool (followed by the NEXT hour, as if "half til ...")
For instance: Half past six. - Pool seitse. (Half (un)til seven.)
a quarter past ...
veerand (same rule)
a quarter to ...
kolmveerand ... (literally "3/4 (of) ...")
Colors
black
must (muhst)
white
valge (VAHL-geh)
gray
hall (hahl)
red
punane (POO-nah-neh)
blue
sinine (SEE-nee-neh)
yellow
kollane (KOHL-lah-neh)
green
roheline (ROH-heh-lee-neh)
orange
oranž (OH-rahzh)
purple
lilla (LEEL-lah)
brown
pruun (proon)
pink
roosa (ROHH-sah)
Transportation
taxi
takso (TAHK-soh)
airplane
lennuk (LEHN-nook)
airline
lennufirma (LEHN-noo-feer-mah)
bus
buss (booss)
car
auto (OW-toh)
ferry
praam (prrahhm)
train
rong (rrohng)
truck
veoauto (VEH-oh-ow-toh)
boat
paat (pahht)
ship
laev (LAH-ehv)
tram
tramm (trrahm)
trolley
trollibuss (TROHL-lee-booss)
bicycle
jalgratas (YAHL-grah-tahs)
motorcycle
mootorratas (mohh-TOHR-rah-tahs)
Buying Tickets
Where can I buy tickets?
Kust saab osta pileteid? (koost saahb OHS-tah PIH-leh-tayd?)
I want to travel to...
Ma tahan sõita ... (mah TAH-khahn SOE-ee-tah)
Do I need to book/make a reservation?
Kas mul on vaja broneerida/teha reservatsiooni? (kahs muhl ohn VAH-yah BROH-nehh-rih-dah/TEH-hah REH-sehr-vah-tsyohh-nih?)
Is it sold out?
Kas see on müüdud? (kahs sehh ohn MEWW-dood?)
Any tickets available?
Kõik piletid on saadaval? (KEW-ihk PIH-leh-tihd ohn SAA-dah-vahl?)
I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen.
Ma olen Ameerika/Austraalia/Briti/Kanada kodanik. (...)
I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate.
Ma soovin rääkida Ameerika/Austraalia/Briti/Kanada saatkonnaga/konsulaadiga. (...)
I want to talk to a lawyer.
Ma soovin rääkida advokaadiga. (...)
Can I just pay a fine now?
Kas ma võin nüüd lihtsalt trahvi ära tasuda? (...)
This is a usable phrasebook. It explains pronunciation and the bare essentials of travel communication. An adventurous person could use it to get by, but please plunge forward and help it grow!