ei pea

Not Having to (Ei Pea)

Level 2

Sa ei pea homme tulema. means You don't have to come tomorrow. It removes an obligation; it does not forbid anything.

How It Works

1. Forms
Like every negative verb, the form is the same for all persons: ma ei pea, sa ei pea, nad ei pea. In the past it is ei pidanud: Me ei pidanud kaua ootama. (We didn't have to wait long.)

2. ei pea or ei tohi?

  • Sa ei pea siin parkima. (You don't have to park here. You may, but you don't need to.)
  • Sa ei tohi siin parkida. (You must not park here. It is forbidden.)

Notice the infinitives: ei pea takes the ma-infinitive, ei tohi takes the da-infinitive. See ma- or da-infinitive.

3. Short answers
Kas ma pean ka tulema? – Ei, sa ei pea. (Do I have to come too? – No, you don't have to.)

4. Other ways to say it

  • Sul ei ole vaja muretseda. (You don't need to worry.) See on vaja.
  • You also meet ei pruugi and ei tarvitse with the da-infinitive: Teil ei tarvitse muretseda. (You need not worry.) ei pruugi often means might not: See ei pruugi tõsi olla. (That might not be true.)

Examples (6)

  1. Sa ei pea homme tulema.

    You don't have to come tomorrow.

    Word by Word: you not must tomorrow come(MA-INF)

  2. Sa ei pea kohe vastama.

    You don't have to answer right away.

    Word by Word: you not must right-away answer(MA-INF)

  3. Me ei pidanud kaua ootama.

    We didn't have to wait long.

    Word by Word: we not had-to long wait(MA-INF)

  4. Kas ma pean ka tulema? – Ei, sa ei pea.

    Do I have to come too? – No, you don't have to.

    Word by Word: Q I must also come – no, you not must

  5. Sa ei tohi siin parkida.

    You must not park here.

    Word by Word: you not may here park(DA-INF)

    For contrast: ei tohi forbids, while ei pea only removes the need.

  6. Sul ei ole vaja muretseda.

    You don't need to worry.

    Word by Word: you-at not is needed worry(DA-INF)

Common Mistakes

  • Using ei pea to forbid something.

    Sa ei pea seda kellelegi rääkima!
    Sa ei tohi seda kellelegi rääkida!

    To say You mustn't tell anyone, ei pea is wrong: it only says there is no need. To forbid, use ei tohi with the da-infinitive.

  • Using the da-infinitive after ei pea.

    Sa ei pea tulla.
    Sa ei pea tulema.

    pidama keeps the ma-infinitive in the negative too.

  • Adding a personal ending to the negative verb.

    Ma ei pean minema.
    Ma ei pea minema.

    After ei the verb has no personal ending: ma ei pea, sa ei pea.

How It Connects

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

ei peaLevel 2Not Having to (Ei Pea)

Learn This First

ei pea negates pidama.

Words in This Pattern

pidamatohtima-ma