sama ... kui
As ... as
Ta on sama pikk kui mina means He is as tall as I am. Täna ei ole nii külm kui eile means Today is not as cold as yesterday.
How It Works
To say that two things are equal, Estonian uses sama ... kui or nii ... kui.
- sama ... kui: Ta on sama pikk kui mina. Meie korter on sama suur kui teie oma. Before an adjective, sama does not change: Ta elab sama suures majas kui mina.
- nii ... kui: Täna ei ole nii külm kui eile. It is very common after a negative. niisama ... kui adds extra stress.
- Amounts and time: sama palju kui (as much as), sama kaua kui (as long as): Ma töötan sama palju kui sina.
The case after kui. The compared word copies the case of its partner. Ma armastan sind sama palju kui tema means I love you as much as she does, but Ma armastan sind sama palju kui teda means I love you as much as I love her.
In everyday speech you will also hear nagu here (sama pikk nagu mina), but kui is the standard choice. For things that are not equal, use the comparative with kui or the elative: Ta on minust pikem.
Examples (6)
- Ta on sama pikk kui mina.
He is as tall as I am.
Word by Word: he is same tall as I
- Täna ei ole nii külm kui eile.
Today is not as cold as yesterday.
- Meie korter on sama suur kui teie oma.
Our flat is as big as yours.
- Ma töötan sama palju kui sina.
I work as much as you do.
- Ma armastan sind sama palju kui teda.
I love you as much as I love her.
teda is partitive like sind, so she is the one being loved.
- Rong ei ole nii kiire kui lennuk.
A train is not as fast as a plane.
Common Mistakes
Using the comparative after sama.
Ta on sama pikem kui mina.Ta on sama pikk kui mina.sama means equally, so it goes with the basic adjective pikk, not with pikem.
Putting the compared pronoun in the genitive.
Ta on sama pikk kui minu.Ta on sama pikk kui mina.mina is compared with the subject ta, so it stays in the nominative.
How It Connects
Learn This First
sama ... kui compares equal things.
Related Patterns
- Comparing with the Elative
The elative is a second way to compare unequal things.
Level 3 - Comparative (-m)
The comparative is for unequal things; sama ... kui is for equal ones.
Level 2 - selline / samaSuch and Same
sama also means the same before a noun: sama telefon.
Level 3 - naguLike and as (Nagu)
nagu compares likeness and is sometimes heard in place of kui here.
Level 3 - Pronouns in Other Cases
The pronoun after kui takes the case of its partner.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice sama ... kui in Bubblegum
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