-st saadik / -st peale

Since (Saadik)

Level 3

Ma elan siin 2020. aastast saadik means I have lived here since 2020. Ma elan siin juba kolm aastat means I have lived here for three years.

How It Works

To say since, name the starting point in the elative (-st) and add saadik or peale. Both mean the same: hommikust peale (since the morning), lapsest saadik (since childhood), 2020. aastast saadik (since 2020), sellest ajast peale (since then). In speech you will also hear saati: suvest saati. The more formal alates comes before the elative: alates esmaspäevast (from Monday on).

  • Present tense for ongoing situations: if the situation still holds, Estonian usually uses the present tense: Ma elan siin 2020. aastast saadik (I have lived here since 2020). Hommikust peale sajab (It has been raining since the morning).
  • juba + length of time: to say for how long, use juba and the length of time, with no saadik: Ma elan siin juba kolm aastat. Ma õpin eesti keelt juba pool aastat.
  • Negative sentences: the perfect is common here: Sellest ajast peale ei ole ma teda näinud.

Be careful with peale: with the elative it means since, but in everyday speech peale with the partitive means after: peale lõunat (after lunch). pärast means after, never since. saadik can also mark a starting place: Nad tulid Tartust saadik (They came all the way from Tartu).

Examples (6)

  1. Ma elan siin 2020. aastast saadik.

    I have lived here since 2020.

    The present tense elan covers the whole time until now.

  2. Hommikust peale sajab.

    It has been raining since the morning.

    Word by Word: morning-from since rains

  3. Ma tunnen teda lapsest saadik.

    I have known him since childhood.

  4. Ma elan siin juba kolm aastat.

    I have lived here for three years.

    A length of time takes juba, not saadik.

  5. Sellest ajast peale ei ole ma teda näinud.

    I have not seen her since then.

  6. Alates esmaspäevast on pood kinni.

    The shop is closed from Monday on.

    alates comes before the elative and is more formal.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the starting point in the nominative or genitive.

    Ma elan siin 2020. aasta saadik.
    Ma elan siin 2020. aastast saadik.

    saadik and peale need the starting point in the elative (-st).

  • Using saadik with a length of time.

    Ma elan siin kolm aastat saadik.
    Ma elan siin juba kolm aastat.

    saadik needs a starting point. To say how long something has been going on, use juba with the length of time.

  • Using pärast to mean since.

    Pärast hommikut sajab.
    Hommikust peale sajab.

    Pärast hommikut means after the morning, so it does not say that the rain started in the morning and is still going on.

How It Connects

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

-st saadik / -st pealeLevel 3Since (Saadik)

Learn This First

Since uses the elative with a time.

Words in This Pattern

saadikpeale