Everyday Spoken Shortcuts
You will hear mai tea for ma ei tea (I don't know) and olnd for olnud. These are normal in speech, but write the full forms in careful texts.
How It Works
Spoken Estonian has some short forms you will hear every day. Knowing them helps you understand people, even if you use the full forms when you write.
- mai tea = ma ei tea (I don't know). The ei is inside mai, so do not add another ei.
- -nd for -nud: olnd (olnud), tulnd (tulnud), läind (läinud), näind (näinud), saand (saanud).
- sihuke or siuke = selline, niisugune (such, like this). It declines the same way: sihukest asja, sihukese asjaga. miuke is a spoken form of missugune (what kind).
- kakskend = kakskümmend (twenty), kolmkend = kolmkümmend (thirty).
Short forms that are fine in writing too. Some short forms belong to standard Estonian: ma, sa, ta for mina, sina, tema, and pole for ei ole. Remember that pole already contains the negative: Ma pole seda näinud.
When to use them. Use the short spoken forms with friends and in casual messages. In letters, essays and official texts, write the full forms: ma ei tea, olnud, selline, kakskümmend.
Examples (5)
- Mai tea, kus ta on.
I don't know where he is.
mai tea is spoken for ma ei tea.
- Ma pole teda ammu näind.
I haven't seen her in ages.
näind is spoken for näinud; in writing: Ma pole teda ammu näinud.
- Kus sa oled olnd?
Where have you been?
olnd is spoken for olnud.
- Mul on ka sihuke telefon.
I have a phone like that too.
sihuke is spoken for selline.
- See maksab kakskend eurot.
It costs twenty euros.
kakskend is spoken for kakskümmend.
Common Mistakes
Adding ei after mai.
Mai ei tea.Mai tea.mai already contains ei (ma + ei), so a second ei is wrong. In writing, use Ma ei tea.
Using ei together with pole.
Ma ei pole seda näinud.Ma pole seda näinud.pole means ei ole, so it cannot take another ei. Say Ma pole or Ma ei ole.
Not declining sihuke.
Ma pole sihuke asja näinud.Ma pole sihukest asja näinud.sihuke declines like selline: after a negative verb the object is partitive, sihukest asja (like sellist asja).
How It Connects
Learn This First
Short forms are features of speech.
Related Patterns
- ei ole / poleNegative of Olema
pole is the standard short negative of olema.
Level 1 - Leaving Out ma and saLeaving Out the Pronoun
Another feature of relaxed speech, where short pronouns are dropped.
Level 2 - Spoken Fillers (nagu, noh, mingi)Spoken Fillers
Other words that are typical of speech.
Level 3 - selline / samaSuch and Same
selline is the written form of spoken sihuke.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Everyday Spoken Shortcuts in Bubblegum
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