If you're trying to learn Estonian Questions you will find some useful resources including a course about Questions and interrogative expressions... to help you with your Estonian grammar. Try to concentrate on the lesson and notice the pattern that occurs each time the word changes its place. Also don't forget to check the rest of our other lessons listed on Learn Estonian. Enjoy the rest of the lesson!
Learning the Estonian Questions is very important because its structure is used in every day conversation. The more you master it the more you get closer to mastering the Estonian language. But first we need to know what the role of Questions is in the structure of the grammar in Estonian.
Estonian questions may be either a linguistic expression used to make a request for information, or else the request itself made by such an expression. Usually it starts with why, how, where, when ...
Grammar Tips:
In Estonian the following are some of the ways of asking a question to get a yes or no answer, and they are the following:
-Verb + pronoun: Unlike English, the auxiliaries do and does are not used. On tal vaba aega? (Does she have free time?)
-Question word “Kas” + Pronoun + verb: Kas tal on vaba aega? (Does she have free time?)
Here are some examples:
| English Questions | Estonian Questions |
|---|---|
| Questions | Küsimused |
| how? | kuidas? |
| what? | mis/mida? |
| who? | kes? |
| why? | miks? |
| where? | kus? |
Notice the structure of the Questions in Estonian has a logical pattern. Locate the Questions above and see how it works with the rest of the sentence in Estonian.
In Estonian there are 3 ways of asking a question to get a yes or no answer, and they are the following:
-Kas + sentence: The word kas is added to the beginning of the sentence. Kas tal on vaba aega? (Does she have free time?)
-Verb + pronoun: Unlike English, the auxiliaries do and does are not used. On tal vaba aega? (Does she have free time?)
-Free word order: Only the intonation makes the sentence interrogative: Tal on vaba aega? Tal vaba aega on? (Does she have free time?)
Below is a list of the Questions and interrogative expressions in Estonian placed in a table. Memorizing this table will help you add very useful and important words to your Estonian vocabulary.
| English Questions | Estonian Questions |
|---|---|
| where is he? | Kus ta on? |
| what is this? | Mis see on? |
| why are you sad? | miks sa oled kurb? |
| how do you want to pay? | Kuidas soovite maksta? |
| can I come? | kas ma võin tulla? |
| is he sleeping? | kas ta magab? |
| do you know me? | kas sa tunned mind? |
| do you have my book? | Kas teil on minu raamat? |
| how big is it? | kui suur see on? |
| can I help you? | kas ma saan teid aidata? |
| can you help me? | kas te saate mind aidata? |
| do you speak English? | Kas te räägite inglise keelt? |
| how far is this? | kui kaugel see on? |
| what time is it? | Mis kell on? |
| how much is this? | kui palju see maksab? |
| what is your name? | Mis su nimi on? |
| where do you live? | kus sa elad? |
Questions and interrogative expressions have a very important role in Estonian. Once you're done with Estonian Questions, you might want to check the rest of our Estonian lessons here: Learn Estonian. Don't forget to bookmark this page.
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