Present Tense

Level 1

Ma loen raamatut. = I read a book / I am reading a book. Ma töötan homme kodus. = I'll work from home tomorrow.

How It Works

One form, several meanings.

  • Now: Ma loen praegu raamatut. (I'm reading a book right now.)
  • Habit: Ta joob hommikul kohvi. (She drinks coffee in the morning.)
  • Future: Ma töötan homme kodus. (I'll work from home tomorrow.)
  • Still going on: Ma elan Tallinnas juba viis aastat. (I've been living in Tallinn for five years.) See Already, Still, Only Just.

Forming it. Add the personal endings to the present stem: loen, loed, loeb, loeme, loete, loevad. See Personal Endings and Present Stem Changes.

The object shows unfinished or finished. A partitive object keeps the action open: Ma loen raamatut (I'm reading a book). A whole object in the genitive means the action will be completed, so the sentence refers to the future: Ma loen raamatu homme läbi (I'll finish the book tomorrow). See Partitive Object and Whole Object in the Genitive.

Other ways to talk about the future. hakkama with the ma-infinitive can stress an activity that is about to begin: Hakkan kirja kirjutama. See Talking About the Future. Do not build a future for actions with saama and the ma-infinitive; the plain present is the natural Estonian choice.

Busy doing something. To stress being in the middle of an activity, you can also say Ma olen lugemas. (I'm busy reading.) See Busy Doing (-mas).

Examples (6)

  1. Ma loen praegu raamatut.

    I'm reading a book right now.

  2. Ta joob hommikul kohvi.

    She drinks coffee in the morning.

    A habit. Ta can also mean he.

  3. Ma töötan homme kodus.

    I'll work from home tomorrow.

    The time word homme gives a future meaning.

  4. Järgmisel nädalal sõidame me Tartusse.

    Next week we're going to Tartu.

  5. Ma elan Tallinnas juba viis aastat.

    I've been living in Tallinn for five years.

    English uses have been living; Estonian uses the present.

  6. Ma loen selle raamatu homme läbi.

    I'll finish reading this book tomorrow.

    The whole object selle raamatu shows a completed future action.

Common Mistakes

  • Building an -ing form with olema.

    Ma olen loen raamatut.
    Ma loen raamatut.

    Estonian does not put olema in front of a present-tense verb. The plain present already means both I read and I am reading.

  • Making a future with saama and the ma-infinitive.

    Ma saan homme kodus töötama.
    Ma töötan homme kodus.

    saama with the ma-infinitive is not standard for future actions. Use the present with a time word.

How It Connects

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

Present TenseLevel 1

Learn This First

The present tense is the set of personal endings in use.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.