Leaving Out a Repeated Verb
Mina jõin kohvi, tema teed means I drank coffee, and she drank tea. The verb is said once, and the listener fills it in the second time.
How It Works
When two clauses say the same kind of thing about different people or things, Estonian often says the shared verb only once. The second clause keeps only the parts that are new.
- Tiina mängib klaverit ja Urmas viiulit. (Tiina plays the piano and Urmas the violin.)
- Mari läks Tartusse, Jüri Pärnusse. (Mari went to Tartu, Jüri to Pärnu.)
The person can change. The missing verb does not have to be the same form as the one you said: Juhan sõitis Narva, aga mina Tartusse. The missing verb here is sõitsin, not sõitis.
Longer verb forms. In a perfect or a pluperfect, the whole verb part can go: Paula oli läinud kinno ja Voldemar raamatukokku. (Paula had gone to the cinema and Voldemar to the library.)
Cases stay the same. The words that remain keep the case the missing verb needs: Mina jõin kohvi, tema teed. Teed is partitive, just like kohvi.
Commas. With ja, ning or või there is usually no comma. With aga, or with no linking word at all, use a comma: Mari läks Tartusse, Jüri Pärnusse.
Only share what really matches. Two verbs can share one object or one infinitive only if both verbs need the same form. Vastama (meet, match) takes the allative, but ületama (exceed) takes an object, so they cannot share nõudeid. Say each part in full: Tulemus vastab nõuetele või ületab neid.
Examples (6)
- Mina jõin kohvi, tema teed.
I drank coffee, and she drank tea.
Word by Word: I drank coffee, she tea
Jõi is left out. Teed stays in the partitive, like kohvi.
- Mari läks Tartusse, Jüri Pärnusse.
Mari went to Tartu, and Jüri went to Pärnu.
- Isa töötab pangas ja ema koolis.
Dad works at a bank and Mom at a school.
- Mina lähen täna, sina homme.
I'm going today, and you're going tomorrow.
Word by Word: I go today, you tomorrow
The missing verb is lähed, a different person form from lähen.
- Poiss oli söönud kaks võileiba, tüdruk ainult õuna.
The boy had eaten two sandwiches, and the girl only an apple.
The whole verb oli söönud is left out of the second clause.
- Eestis sajab lund, Lätis vihma.
In Estonia it's snowing, and in Latvia it's raining.
Common Mistakes
Letting two verbs share one object when they need different cases.
Tulemus vastab või ületab nõudeid.Tulemus vastab nõuetele või ületab neid.Vastama needs the allative (nõuetele), but ületama needs an object (neid). Because they need different forms, say each one in full.
Letting two verbs share an infinitive when they need different infinitives.
Ma tahan ja pean töötama.Ma tahan töötada ja pean töötama.Tahtma takes the da-infinitive (töötada), but pidama takes the ma-infinitive (töötama). They cannot share one form.
How It Connects
Learn This First
A repeated verb is left out in joined clauses.
Related Patterns
- Shared Compound Parts (laulu- ja tantsupidu)Shared Compound Parts
The same idea inside words: a shared part of a compound is said only once.
Level 5 - Leaving Out ma and saLeaving Out the Pronoun
Another way Estonian leaves out what the listener already knows.
Level 2 - Commas Before Clauses
Explains when a comma separates the two clauses.
Level 3 - ma- or da-InfinitiveWhich Infinitive?
Two verbs can share an infinitive only when both take the same infinitive form.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Leaving Out a Repeated Verb in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Estonian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
