ära / ärge

Negative Commands

Level 2

Ära muretse! means Don't worry! to one person. Ärge muretsege! says it to a group, or politely to one person.

How It Works

Estonian negative commands use their own word, ära, instead of ei. Unlike ei, ära changes its form.

  • One person (sina): ära + the singular command: Ära mine! (Don't go!) Ära muretse! (Don't worry!)
  • Several people, or polite teie: ärge + the plural command in -ge/-ke: Ärge minge! Ärge rääkige nii kiiresti!

The two parts must match: ära tule, ärge tulge. Mixed pairs like ära tulge are wrong.

ära is more like a verb than ei is, so other words can stand between ära and the command: Ära homme tule! (Don't come tomorrow!) With ei this is not possible.

Do not confuse this ära with the small word ära in particle verbs such as ära minema (leave). Both can appear in one sentence: Ära mine veel ära! (Don't leave yet!)

There are more forms for other people: ärgem (let's not) and ärgu (let him not). You will meet these later.

Examples (6)

  1. Ära muretse, kõik saab korda.

    Don't worry, everything will be fine.

    ära + singular command muretse.

  2. Ärge rääkige nii kiiresti!

    Don't speak so fast!

    ärge + plural command rääkige, to a group or a polite teie.

  3. Ära mine veel ära!

    Don't leave yet!

    The first ära makes the command negative; the second is part of ära minema.

  4. Ärge unustage oma passi!

    Don't forget your passport!

    unusta → unustage in the plural.

  5. Ära puutu, see on kuum!

    Don't touch, it's hot!

  6. Ärge kartke, koer ei hammusta.

    Don't be afraid, the dog doesn't bite.

    karda → kartke in the plural.

Common Mistakes

  • Mixing ära with a plural command.

    Lapsed, ära jookske!
    Lapsed, ärge jookske!

    Speaking to several people, both parts must be plural: ärge + jookske.

  • Mixing ärge with a singular command.

    Ärge mine!
    Ärge minge!

    ärge needs the plural command in -ge: minge.

  • Using ei for a command.

    Ei suitseta siin!
    Ära suitseta siin!

    ei makes a statement ("I don't smoke here"). A command uses ära.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ära / ärgeLevel 2Negative Commands

Learn This First

Negative commands use the imperative forms.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

ärge