Short Conditional

Level 3

Ma läheks means the same as ma läheksin: "I would go." The short form uses -ks for every person.

How It Works

The full conditional has personal endings: ma läheksin, me läheksime. In everyday speech, Estonians usually drop them and use the -ks form for every person:

  • ma läheks – me läheks
  • sa läheks – te läheks
  • ta läheks – nad läheks

This short conditional is not slang. The Estonian language handbook allows it in the written standard too. The full forms sound a little more formal and careful.

Keep the pronoun. The short form alone does not show the person, so without a subject it can sound like it is about "he" or "she". Tuleksin hea meelega clearly means "I would gladly come", while Tuleks hea meelega leaves the person open. In relaxed speech people do say things like Tahaks kohvi, but when you leave out the pronoun, the full form is the clear choice.

Do not mix the two forms. Either use the matching ending (me läheksime) or none at all (me läheks). An ending from another person is always wrong.

The negative conditional never has personal endings: ma ei läheks, me ei läheks.

Examples (6)

  1. Ma tahaks kohvi.

    I'd like some coffee.

    A very common everyday request.

  2. Me võiks kinno minna.

    We could go to the cinema.

    Short form of me võiksime.

  3. Kui ma oleks sina, siis ma ei ütleks midagi.

    If I were you, I wouldn't say anything.

  4. Sa võiks natuke puhata.

    You could rest a little.

  5. Nad tuleks kindlasti, kui neil oleks aega.

    They would definitely come if they had time.

  6. Ma läheks hea meelega.

    I'd be happy to go.

Common Mistakes

  • Using an ending that belongs to another person.

    Me läheksin kinno.
    Me läheks kinno.

    Läheksin is only for ma. With me, use the short form läheks or the full form läheksime.

  • Adding a personal ending in the negative.

    Ma ei läheksin sinna.
    Ma ei läheks sinna.

    After ei, the conditional never takes a personal ending.

How It Connects

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

Short ConditionalLevel 3

Learn This First

The short form drops the conditional's ending.