The Many Meanings of kui

Level 4

kui is one small word with many jobs: when, if, than, as and how. Kui sa tuled means if you come, vanem kui mina means older than me, and Kui ilus! means how beautiful!

How It Works

kui is one of the most common words in Estonian. Here are its main meanings.

  • when: Kui ma väike olin, elasime maal. (When I was little, we lived in the countryside.)
  • if: Kui sa tuled, helista mulle. (If you come, call me.) With the conditional it is an unreal if: Kui mul oleks aega, tuleksin. (If I had time, I would come.)
  • than, after a comparative: Ta on vanem kui mina. The word after kui is in the same case as the thing it is compared with.
  • as, in fixed pairs: sama pikk kui (as tall as), nii ... kui ka (both ... and). It can also mean in the role of: Ma räägin sinuga kui sõbraga. (I'm talking to you as a friend.)
  • how, before an adjective or adverb: in exclamations, Kui ilus! (How beautiful!), and in questions about degree, Kui vana sa oled? (How old are you?), Kui kaua? (How long?)

How to tell them apart. If kui starts a clause with its own verb, it means when or if. For something that happened once in the past, it usually means when; for the future, it can mean either one. If kui comes after a comparative, it means than. In a question or an exclamation, kui right before an adjective or adverb means how: Kui ilus! Kui vana sa oled?

What kui does not mean. For that after verbs like say and think, use et: Ta ütles, et ta on väsinud. To ask in what way something is done, use kuidas: Kuidas sa seda teed?

Examples (6)

  1. Kui sa tuled, helista mulle.

    If you come, call me.

    kui starts a clause: when or if.

  2. Kui ma väike olin, elasime maal.

    When I was little, we lived in the countryside.

    A past situation: kui means when.

  3. Ta on vanem kui mina.

    She is older than me.

    After a comparative, kui means than; mina is in the same case as ta.

  4. Kui ilus!

    How beautiful!

    Before an adjective in an exclamation, kui means how.

  5. Kui vana su poeg on?

    How old is your son?

    kui + adjective asks about degree.

  6. Ma räägin sinuga kui sõbraga.

    I'm talking to you as a friend.

    kui means as; sõbraga copies the case of sinuga.

Common Mistakes

  • Using kui for that after a verb of saying.

    Ta ütles, kui ta on väsinud.
    Ta ütles, et ta on väsinud.

    After say, think and know, that is et. kui here would mean when or if.

  • Using kui to ask how something is done.

    Kui sa seda teed?
    Kuidas sa seda teed?

    kui only means how before an adjective or adverb (kui vana, kui kaua). For the way something is done, use kuidas. Kui sa seda teed means if you do this.

  • Using the wrong case after kui in a comparison.

    Ta on vanem kui mind.
    Ta on vanem kui mina.

    The word after kui takes the same case as the thing it is compared with. Here that is the subject ta, so use the nominative mina.

How It Connects

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The Many Meanings of kuiLevel 4

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The many meanings of kui gather its earlier uses.

Words in This Pattern

kuikui