When I first moved to Estonia, I survived on three words: "Tere" (hello), "Aitäh" (thanks), and "Üks õlu, palun" (one beer, please). You can do better than me. Here are the 50 words that actually matter.
10 Greetings That Will Save Your Life
- Tere — The Swiss Army knife of Estonian greetings. Works everywhere, anytime.
- Tere hommikust — Good morning. Estonians say this with a straight face even at 6 AM.
- Tere päevast — Good afternoon. Use between noon and evening.
- Tere õhtust — Good evening.
- Tsau / Hei — Informal. Friends only. NOT for the migration office.
- Head aega — Goodbye. Literally "good time."
- Nägemist — See you. More formal.
- Head ööd — Good night.
- Kuidas läheb? — How's it going? Standard small talk.
- Hästi, aitäh — Well, thanks. Your default response.
20 Everyday Words
Cafe / Food
- Kohv — coffee. Your daily necessity.
- Tee — tea.
- Vesi — water.
- Leib — bread. Estonia runs on dark bread.
- Piim — milk.
- Arve — receipt. You'll hear this 500 times at Selver checkout.
- Palun — please. Magic word. Use it constantly.
Getting Around
- Buss — bus.
- Peatus — stop, as in bus stop.
- Vasakul — left.
- Paremal — right.
- Otse — straight.
- Kus — where. Your most useful question word.
Shopping
- Pood — shop/store.
- Raha — money.
- Kaart — card, as in bank card.
- Odav — cheap.
- Kallis — expensive.
People
- Sõber — friend.
- Arst — doctor.
20 Survival Phrases
- Ma ei räägi eesti keelt — I don't speak Estonian. Your safety phrase.
- Kas te räägite inglise keelt? — Do you speak English?
- Ma ei saa aru — I don't understand.
- Palun öelge uuesti — Please say that again.
- Kus on tualett? — Where is the bathroom?
- Palun abi — Help, please.
- Kui palju see maksab? — How much does this cost?
- Ma tahan seda — I want this.
- Üks kohv, palun — One coffee, please.
- Arve, palun — The bill, please.
- Ma olen välismaalane — I'm a foreigner.
- Vabandust — Excuse me / Sorry.
- Ei — No.
- Jah — Yes.
- Võib-olla — Maybe.
- Natuke — A little.
- Ma õpin eesti keelt — I'm learning Estonian.
- See on väga hea — This is very good.
- Ma tulen tagasi — I'll come back.
- Aitäh väga — Thank you very much.
A1
Asking a colleague how they get to work
Tere, Mart! Kuidas läheb?
Tere, Liina. Hästi läheb.
Kuidas sa tööle tuled?
Mul on oma transport.
Related Reading
- Beginner Estonian Course — Free A1-A2 Lessons
- How to Learn Estonian — Practical Guide
- Estonian A1 to C2: What Each Level Actually Feels Like
- Estonian Conversation Practice with Audio
- Browse Example Lessons
What's Next After 50 Words?
You just learned 50 words by reading a blog post. Imagine what happens when you actually practice. Try a real dialogue — it takes 3 minutes.