teadma / tundma / oskama

Three Ways to Know

Level 2

Ma tean, kus ta elab (I know where she lives) is a fact. Ma tunnen teda (I know her) is a person. Ma oskan ujuda (I can swim) is a skill.

How It Works

Choose the verb by what you know.

  • teadma (tean, teadis) — facts and information. It often takes a clause: Ma tean, et ta tuleb. Kas sa tead, mis kell on? On its own: Ma ei tea. (I don't know.)
  • tundma (tunnen, tundis) — people and places you are familiar with: Ma tunnen teda. Kas te tunnete teineteist? It also means to feel: Ma tunnen end hästi. (I feel well.) With ära it means recognize: Ma ei tundnud sind ära.
  • oskama (oskan, oskas) — skills and languages. It takes a da-infinitive or a partitive: Ma oskan ujuda. Ta oskab kolme keelt. Ma ei oska öelda. (I can't say.)

The object of tundma and oskama is in the partitive: teda, Marit, eesti keelt. ära tundma is different, because it reaches a result: in a positive sentence it takes a whole object, Ma tundsin ta kohe ära. (I recognized her at once.)

Ma tean teda is also possible. It means "I know who he is" or "I have heard of him", while Ma tunnen teda means you know him personally.

Examples (6)

  1. Ma tean, kus ta elab.

    I know where she lives.

    A fact, so teadma.

  2. Kas sa tunned Marit?

    Do you know Mari?

    A person, so tundma with the partitive Marit.

  3. Ma oskan eesti keelt.

    I speak Estonian.

    Word by Word: I know-how Estonian language

    A language, so oskama with the partitive.

  4. Kas sa oskad ujuda?

    Can you swim?

    A skill: oskama + da-infinitive.

  5. Ma tunnen end täna palju paremini.

    I feel much better today.

    tundma also means "to feel".

  6. Ma ei tundnud sind alguses ära.

    I didn't recognize you at first.

    ära tundma = recognize.

Common Mistakes

  • Using teadma for a language.

    Ma tean eesti keelt.
    Ma oskan eesti keelt.

    A language is a skill, so Estonian uses oskama.

  • Using teadma for an ability.

    Ma tean ujuda.
    Ma oskan ujuda.

    For knowing how to do something, use oskama with the da-infinitive.

  • Using tundma for a fact.

    Kas sa tunned, kus ta elab?
    Kas sa tead, kus ta elab?

    A kus, mis or et clause is information, so it goes with teadma.

How It Connects

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

teadma / tundma / oskamaLevel 2Three Ways to Know

Learn This First

These verbs have changed present stems.

Words in This Pattern

teadmatundmaoskama