et
That-Clause (Et)
Ma arvan, et ta tuleb. means I think (that) he is coming. The comma and et are both required.
How It Works
1. After verbs of saying and thinking
- Ta ütles, et on väsinud. (She said she was tired.)
- Ma tean, et sa oled hõivatud. (I know you are busy.)
- Ma loodan, et homme on ilus ilm. (I hope the weather is nice tomorrow.)
2. After feelings and judgements
et also follows adjectives and phrases: Hea, et sa tulid! (Good thing you came!) Mul on hea meel, et sa siin oled. (I'm glad you're here.)
3. No tense shift
Estonian keeps the tense of the original thought. If she said I am tired, the report is Ta ütles, et on väsinud, with present on, where English says was.
4. Word order and comma
After et, the clause usually has ordinary order: et ta tuleb. The comma usually goes right before et. With a longer linking phrase such as selleks et, it goes before the whole phrase: Ta tuli, selleks et aidata. If the et clause is in the middle of a sentence, close it with a comma too. When the subject is the same as in the main clause, it is often left out: Ta ütles, et on väsinud.
5. Not for yes-no questions
To report a question, use kas instead: Ta küsis, kas ma tulen. (He asked whether I was coming.) In casual speech you will often hear küsis, et kas, but in writing use kas alone. See indirect questions.
Examples (6)
- Ma arvan, et ta tuleb.
I think he's coming.
Word by Word: I think that he comes
- Ta ütles, et on väsinud.
She said she was tired.
Word by Word: she said that is tired
The subject is left out because it is the same person, and the tense stays present.
- Ma tean, et sa oled hõivatud.
I know you're busy.
Word by Word: I know that you are busy
- Hea, et sa tulid!
Good thing you came!
Word by Word: good that you came
- Ma loodan, et homme on ilus ilm.
I hope the weather is nice tomorrow.
Word by Word: I hope that tomorrow is beautiful weather
- Ma ei teadnud, et sa räägid eesti keelt.
I didn't know you spoke Estonian.
Word by Word: I not knew that you speak Estonian language(PART)
Common Mistakes
Leaving out et in writing the way English leaves out that.
Ma arvan ta tuleb.Ma arvan, et ta tuleb.Estonian needs et to join the two clauses, and a comma before it.
Forgetting the comma before et.
Ta ütles et on väsinud.Ta ütles, et on väsinud.A clause that starts with et is separated by a comma.
Using et to report a yes-no question.
Ta küsis, et ma tulen.Ta küsis, kas ma tulen.Ta küsis, et ma tulen does not report a question. Whether is kas.
How It Connects
Learn This First
et joins a clause to a plain statement.
Related Patterns
- sestBecause (Sest)
Another clause with a comma before it, giving a reason.
Level 2 - Questions with kasYes-No Questions with Kas
kas, not et, introduces a reported yes-no question.
Level 1 - Reported Questions
Reporting questions uses kas or a question word instead of et.
Level 3 - selleks etIn Order to (Selleks Et)
et also appears in selleks et, meaning in order to.
Level 3 - Commas Before Clauses
et clauses are the most common place where Estonian needs a comma.
Level 3 - Reporting What Someone Said
Reported statements are built with et.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice et in Bubblegum
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