Everyday Slang
Friends say telekas, not televiisor, and a great concert is äge. These words are everyday Estonian, not mistakes.
How It Works
Clipped words with -kas. A long word is cut short and gets -kas:
- telekas ← televiisor (TV)
- fotokas ← fotoaparaat (camera)
- ühikas ← ühiselamu (dormitory)
- pastakas ← pastapliiats (ballpoint pen); this one is now an ordinary word in any style
Other clipped words use different endings, such as mobla (mobile phone).
Words for "cool". Äge in standard Estonian means fierce or sharp: äge valu (sharp pain), äge torm (a violent storm). In casual speech it means cool or great: Äge pidu! Similar words are lahe and kihvt. Tšill (relaxed, easy-going) is a newer loan from English chill.
Grammar stays normal. Slang words take the usual case endings: Mis telekast tuleb? (What's on TV?) Elasin ühikas (I lived in the dorm). Note that ühikas is both the base form and the inessive (ühika + s), so read the sentence to see which one it is.
Where to use it. These words sound natural with friends, family and in messages. In a job application, an official letter or an essay, use the standard word: televiisor or teler, mobiiltelefon, ühiselamu.
Examples (6)
- Mis telekast täna tuleb?
What's on TV today?
Word by Word: what TV-from today comes
Telekast is the elative of telekas; a TV show "comes from" the TV.
- Kas sa saad mulle oma pastaka laenata?
Can you lend me your pen?
- Esimesel kursusel elasin ühikas.
In my first year I lived in the dorm.
Ühikas here is the inessive (in the dorm), which looks the same as the base form.
- Kontsert oli nii äge!
The concert was so cool!
- Eksam on läbi, nüüd on kõik tšill.
The exam is over, now everything's chill.
- Mu mobla aku sai tühjaks.
My phone battery died.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Slang is part of spoken style.
Related Patterns
- Written vs Spoken Estonian
Slang is one of the clearest differences between speech and the written standard.
Level 3 - Spoken Fillers (nagu, noh, mingi)Spoken Fillers
Fillers and slang often appear together in casual speech.
Level 3 - Adjectives with -kasRich in Something (-kas)
The slang -kas is a clipping ending; the adjective suffix -kas means rich in something.
Level 5 - Diminutive (-ke)
Another way everyday speech adds warmth or informality to a word.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Everyday Slang in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Estonian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
