In this lesson you will learn common Estonian greetings and farewells. You will hear each phrase in a recording, repeat it aloud, and see how the phrases work in a short conversation. The greetings include Tere, Tere hommikust, Tere päevast and Tere õhtust, and the farewell Head aega.
Objectives
- Greet someone in Estonian at any time of day using Tere.
- Use time-specific greetings: Tere hommikust, Tere päevast and Tere õhtust.
- Say goodbye with Head aega and follow a short greeting exchange.
Phrases
Hello
General greeting used at any time of day and in both casual and polite situations.Good morning
Used in the morning. A fixed expression; say the words as one smooth group.Good afternoon
Used during the day. A fixed expression; say the words as one smooth group.Good evening
Used in the evening. A fixed expression; say the words as one smooth group.Goodbye
Standard farewell meaning goodbye or have a good time. A fixed phrase.Explanations
One greeting for any time: Tere
Tere is the all-purpose Estonian greeting. You can use it at any time of day and in both casual and polite situations. It can stand alone as a complete greeting. Listen to the recording of Tere and repeat it, copying the speaker's rhythm and intonation.
Greetings for times of day
Tere hommikust, Tere päevast and Tere õhtust are more specific greetings. They mean good morning, good afternoon and good evening. These are fixed expressions, so say the words as one smooth group rather than pausing between them. Listen to each recording and repeat aloud.
Saying goodbye: Head aega
Head aega is a standard farewell meaning goodbye or have a good time. It is a fixed phrase, so learn it as a whole. In the dialogue, speaker B says Hästi, aitäh. Head aega! after being asked Kuidas läheb? Listen to the recording and repeat the farewell, copying the speaker's rhythm and intonation.
Dialogue
Good morning!
Good morning!
How are you?
Fine, thanks. Goodbye!
Pronunciation
Listen carefully to each recording and repeat the phrase aloud, copying the speaker's rhythm and intonation. For the longer greetings, say the words as one smooth group rather than pausing between them. Practice until you can produce each phrase clearly without looking at the text.
Common mistake
Using a time-specific greeting at the wrong time of day, for example saying Tere hommikust in the evening.
Use Tere at any time of day. Use Tere hommikust in the morning, Tere päevast during the day and Tere õhtust in the evening.
Practice
Listen to the recording of Tere and repeat it aloud three times.
The recording contains the single word Tere. Listen first, then repeat it three times, copying the speaker's rhythm and intonation.
Show answer
TereTere is the general Estonian greeting and can be used at any time of day. Repeating it helps you produce the word clearly without looking at the text.
Listen to the recording of Tere hommikust and repeat it aloud.
The recording contains the phrase Tere hommikust. Listen first, then repeat it, saying the words as one smooth group.
Show answer
Tere hommikustTere hommikust means good morning and is used in the morning. It is a fixed expression, so practice it as a whole.
Listen to the recording of Head aega and repeat it aloud.
The recording contains the phrase Head aega. Listen first, then repeat it, copying the speaker's rhythm and intonation.
Show answer
Head aegaHead aega is a standard farewell meaning goodbye or have a good time. It is a fixed phrase, so learn it as a whole.
Tere works as a greeting at any time, while Tere hommikust, Tere päevast and Tere õhtust are used for specific times of day. Use Head aega to say goodbye.
Practice with Yapr
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning; use this lesson with a Yapr AI tutor.
Practice on Yapr