nagu
Like and as (Nagu)
Ta laulab nagu ingel means She sings like an angel. Tee nii, nagu ma ütlesin means Do it the way I said.
How It Works
nagu means like or as. It shows that two things are similar.
- Before a word or phrase: Ta laulab nagu ingel. Tunne ennast nagu kodus. A simple comparison like this has no comma.
- Before a clause: when a verb follows, nagu starts a clause and needs a comma: Tee nii, nagu ma ütlesin. Nagu sa tead, homme on puhkepäev.
- Matching the case: the compared word copies the case of its partner: Ta räägib minuga nagu lapsega (-ga and -ga). Compare Ta räägib minuga nagu laps, where he himself is the one acting like a child.
- As if: with the conditional, nagu means as if: Ta käitub, nagu oleks ta ülemus. See nagu with the conditional.
- Such as: nagu can introduce examples, with commas: Mitmes linnas, nagu Tartus ja Pärnus, on Põllu tänav.
nagu shows likeness, not degree. After a comparative, use kui: Ta on pikem kui mina. In casual speech, nagu is also a filler word, like English like: Ta oli nagu väsinud.
Examples (6)
- Ta laulab nagu ingel.
She sings like an angel.
Word by Word: she sings like angel
- Tee nii, nagu ma ütlesin.
Do it the way I said.
Word by Word: do so as I said
nagu starts a clause here, so it has a comma before it.
- Tunne ennast nagu kodus.
Make yourself at home.
Word by Word: feel yourself like at-home
- Ta räägib minuga nagu lapsega.
He talks to me as if I were a child.
lapsega copies the -ga of minuga.
- Nagu sa tead, homme on puhkepäev.
As you know, tomorrow is a day off.
- Mul on samasugune jope nagu sinul.
I have the same kind of jacket as you.
sinul copies the adessive of mul.
Common Mistakes
Using nagu after a comparative.
Ta on pikem nagu mina.Ta on pikem kui mina.nagu shows that things are alike. To say that one is more or less than the other, use kui after the comparative.
Not matching the case when you mean he talks to me like to a child.
Ta räägib minuga nagu laps.Ta räägib minuga nagu lapsega.laps compares him with a child. To compare me with a child, lapsega must copy the -ga of minuga.
How It Connects
Learn This First
nagu compares like kui.
Related Patterns
- sama ... kuiAs ... as
sama ... kui says that two things are equal in degree.
Level 3 - nagu + ConditionalAs if (Nagu Oleks)
nagu with the conditional means as if.
Level 4 - selline / samaSuch and Same
selline and samasugune often pair with nagu: selline nagu ema.
Level 3 - Spoken Fillers (nagu, noh, mingi)Spoken Fillers
In casual speech, nagu is also a filler like English like.
Level 3 - Commas Before Clauses
nagu takes a comma before a clause but not in a simple comparison.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice nagu in Bubblegum
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