Past Tense with -i-

Level 2

Olema, tulema, saama, tegema and nägema use -i- in the past: olin, tulin, sain, tegin, nägin. The he/she form is oli, tuli, sai, tegi, nägi.

How It Works

A small, closed group of verbs uses -i- in the simple past. The endings are the same as in the -si- past, but the ta form ends in -i:

  • olema: ma olin, sa olid, ta oli, me olime, te olite, nad olid
  • tulema: ma tulin, sa tulid, ta tuli, me tulime, te tulite, nad tulid
  • saama: ma sain, sa said, ta sai, me saime, te saite, nad said

Other common verbs in this group: tegema → tegin, tegi; nägema → nägin, nägi; pesema → pesin, pesi; surema → suri; pidama (must) → pidin, pidi; jääma → jäin, jäi. A long vowel becomes short before -i: saama → sain, not saain.

Grammars split this group in two. Saama and jääma add an -i ending. Tulema, olema, tegema and nägema use a past stem ending in -i. For learners, the pattern is the same: no -s, and the ta form ends in -i. Jooma, sööma and tooma also belong here but change their vowel (jõin, sõin, tõin).

Examples (5)

  1. Eile oli ilus ilm.

    The weather was nice yesterday.

    Olema → oli in the ta form.

  2. Ma tulin koju hilja.

    I came home late.

    Tulema → tulin.

  3. Ta sai eile kirja.

    She got a letter yesterday.

    Saama → sai. The long aa becomes short a.

  4. Mida te nädalavahetusel tegite?

    What did you do at the weekend?

    Tegema → tegite.

  5. Me nägime metsas põtra.

    We saw a moose in the forest.

    Nägema → nägime.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding the -s of the -si- past.

    Ta tulis koju.
    Ta tuli koju.

    Tulema uses the -i- past, so the ta form is tuli, with no -s.

  • Keeping the long vowel before -i.

    Ma saain kingituse.
    Ma sain kingituse.

    The long vowel of saama shortens in the past: sain, sai.

  • Treating olema as a -si- verb.

    Ma olisin kodus.
    Ma olin kodus.

    Olema is an -i- verb: olin, olid, oli.

How It Connects

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Past Tense with -i-Level 2

Learn This First

The -i- past is the second past pattern.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

tulemaolemasaama