ent / sestap / nõnda

Literary Linking Words

Level 6

Ent keegi ei vastanud means But nobody answered. Novels, essays and older texts link ideas with ent, sestap and nõnda where everyday speech uses aga, sellepärast and nii.

How It Works

These three words belong mostly to written Estonian. You will meet them in fiction, essays, journalism and older texts. In speech people usually choose the plainer word.

  • ent = but. It is used less often than aga or kuid and sounds more literary. Like them, it takes a comma: Maja oli vana, ent hästi hoitud. It can also start a sentence: Ent keegi ei vastanud.
  • sestap = that's why, so. It means the same as sellepärast or seepärast. It comes after the reason and introduces the result: Rong hilines, sestap jõudsime koju alles südaööl.
  • nõnda = so, thus, in this way. It is a variant of nii: Tee nõnda. (Do it this way.) Nõnda möödus talv. (Thus the winter passed.) It also appears in the Lord's Prayer: nagu taevas, nõnda ka maa peal.

The literary flavour is strongest in ent and sestap. nõnda is also heard in speech, especially when someone wraps up: Nõnda, tänaseks aitab. (Right, that's enough for today.)

In poetry, ent can even move inside its clause for rhythm. When reading, treat it exactly like aga at the start of the clause.

LiteraryEverydayMeaning
entaga, kuidbut
sestapsellepärast, seepärastthat's why
nõndaniiso, thus

Examples (6)

  1. Ent keegi ei vastanud.

    But nobody answered.

  2. Maja oli vana, ent hästi hoitud.

    The house was old but well kept.

  3. Ta tahtis midagi öelda, ent jäi vait.

    She wanted to say something, yet she stayed silent.

  4. Rong hilines, sestap jõudsime koju alles südaööl.

    The train was late, so we only got home at midnight.

  5. Nõnda möödus talv.

    Thus the winter passed.

  6. Sinu tahtmine sündigu nagu taevas, nõnda ka maa peal.

    Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

    From the Lord's Prayer. Here nõnda means so, in the same way.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the comma before ent.

    Ta tahtis tulla ent jäi haigeks.
    Ta tahtis tulla, ent jäi haigeks.

    ent is a contrasting conjunction like aga and kuid, so a comma goes before it.

  • Using sestap to give the reason.

    Jäin koju, sestap olin haige.
    Jäin koju, sest olin haige.

    The intended meaning is because I was ill. sestap means that's why and introduces the result, so the reason needs sest. With sestap the order flips: Olin haige, sestap jäin koju.

How It Connects

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ent / sestap / nõndaLevel 6Literary Linking Words

Learn This First

Literary linking words replace everyday ones.

Words in This Pattern

entnõndaagakuidniisellepärast