Grocery Shopping in Estonian

Imagine you're visiting a supermarket in Tallinn.

You need milk, bread, eggs, and a few vegetables.

You can recognize some product names, but you aren't sure where everything is located.

You want to ask an employee for help, request a particular quantity, and understand basic information on product labels.

The good news?

You already know many of the expressions needed for shopping.

In this lesson, we'll combine that knowledge with essential grocery vocabulary and simple quantity patterns.

Today's mission: Find five products, ask for help when necessary, and use Estonian to describe what you want to buy.

What You'll Learn

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to:

• Recognize common grocery products.
• Ask where a product is located.
• Ask whether a shop has an item.
• Use basic quantities and packaging expressions.
• Understand kilograms, grams, and liters in simple shopping contexts.
• Ask for a specific number of items.
• Recognize basic product-label information.
• Ask an employee for help.
• Use simple shopping lists in Estonian.
• Participate in a short supermarket conversation.

A1 learning goal: Use familiar vocabulary and simple expressions to find products, communicate quantities, and understand basic shopping information.

1. Your First Grocery Words

Let's begin with products you'll encounter frequently in Estonia.

You don't need to memorize hundreds of food words.

Start with the items you're most likely to buy.

Essential Groceries

Estonian	English
piim	milk
leib	bread, usually dark bread
sai	white bread
muna	egg
juust	cheese
või	butter
jogurt	yogurt
vesi	water
mahl	juice
kohv	coffee
tee	tea
suhkur	sugar
sool	salt

Listen and Repeat

Practice

Listen to the words twice.

On the first listen, identify the meaning.

On the second, repeat each word aloud.

Pay attention to familiar Estonian sounds:

• õ in või
• ii in piim
• uu in juust

Your First Challenge

Imagine you're buying:

• Milk
• Bread
• Cheese
• Eggs
• Butter

Say the Estonian word for each item.

Try without looking at the table.

2. Fruits and Vegetables

Now let's learn some common fruit and vegetable vocabulary.

Fruits

Estonian	English
õun	apple
banaan	banana
apelsin	orange
pirn	pear
viinamari	grape
maasikas	strawberry

Vegetables

Estonian	English
kartul	potato
tomat	tomato
kurk	cucumber
porgand	carrot
sibul	onion
kapsas	cabbage
paprika	bell pepper

Listen to the Vocabulary

Practice

Imagine preparing a simple salad.

You need:

• Tomato
• Cucumber
• Onion
• Bell pepper

Say:

tomat

kurk

sibul

paprika

Practical Tip

Don't attempt to memorize every fruit and vegetable in this lesson.

Prioritize five that you personally buy often.

You'll remember vocabulary more effectively when you connect it to actual shopping habits.

3. Meat, Fish, and Other Products

You may also need to recognize common protein foods and pantry staples.

Estonian	English
kana	chicken
kanaliha	chicken meat
veiseliha	beef
sealiha	pork
kala	fish
lõhe	salmon
hakkliha	minced meat
riis	rice
makaronid	pasta
jahu	flour
õli	oil

Listen

Useful Combination

Ma sooviksin kana ja riisi.

Meaning: I would like chicken and rice.

Another Example

Kas teil on lõhet?

Meaning: Do you have salmon?

Grammar Discovery

Notice:

• lõhe — salmon
• lõhet — salmon, in the partitive form

You have already encountered similar changes:

• piim → piima
• vesi → vett
• juust → juustu

These changes matter when asking for products or quantities.

For now, remember commonly used expressions instead of trying to apply one ending to every noun.

4. Where Is the Milk?

Imagine you're in a supermarket.

You can't find the milk.

You already know the question word kus.

Ask:

Kus on piim?

Meaning: Where is the milk?

More Useful Questions

Kus on leib?

Where is the bread?

Kus on juust?

Where is the cheese?

Kus on munad?

Where are the eggs?

Kus on köögiviljad?

Where are the vegetables?

New Vocabulary

munad

Meaning: Eggs.

köögiviljad

Meaning: Vegetables.

A More Polite Question

You can begin with:

Vabandust, kus on piim?

Meaning: Excuse me, where is the milk?

This is a natural and useful expression when asking a shop employee for help.

Example Dialogue

English Translation

Customer: Excuse me!

Employee: Yes?

Customer: Where is the milk?

Employee: The milk is over there.

Customer: Thank you!

Employee: You're welcome!

Pattern to Remember

Kus on + product?

You can use this question with many products without changing the overall structure.

5. Understanding Location Answers

Finding an item is only half the interaction.

You also need to understand the response.

Let's learn some simple location words.

Estonian	English
siin	here
seal	there
siin lähedal	nearby
paremal	on the right
vasakul	on the left
ees	in front / ahead
taga	behind
kõrval	next to
riiul	shelf
külmkapp	refrigerator

Listen

Example Responses

Piim on seal.

Meaning: The milk is there.

Leib on paremal.

Meaning: The bread is on the right.

Juust on külmkapis.

Meaning: The cheese is in the refrigerator.

Munad on siin.

Meaning: The eggs are here.

Grammar Discovery

Compare:

• külmkapp — refrigerator
• külmkapis — in the refrigerator

The ending -s often expresses location inside something.

This is an example of the Estonian inessive case.

You'll study location forms systematically in a later module.

For now, remember the useful phrase:

külmkapis

Meaning: In the refrigerator.

Practice Dialogue

Your Task

Imagine an employee tells you:

Piim on vasakul.

Which direction should you look?

Answer: Left.

6. Asking Whether Something Is Available

Sometimes you don't know whether the shop stocks a particular product.

Use the pattern from Module 2.

Kas teil on piima?

Meaning: Do you have milk?

More Examples

Kas teil on mune?

Do you have eggs?

Kas teil on banaane?

Do you have bananas?

Kas teil on riisi?

Do you have rice?

Kas teil on kaerapiima?

Do you have oat milk?

Possible Responses

Jah, on küll.

Yes, we do.

Ei, kahjuks ei ole.

No, unfortunately not.

Example Conversation

English Translation

Customer: Hello!

Employee: Hello!

Customer: Do you have oat milk?

Employee: Yes, we do.

Customer: Where is it?

Employee: Over there, next to the milk.

Customer: Thank you!

Employee: You're welcome!

New Pattern

Kus see on?

Meaning: Where is it?

You don't need to repeat the product name in every question.

Once the item is clear, see can refer back to it.

7. How Much Do You Need?

Imagine you're buying apples.

The employee asks how many you want.

You already know:

Mitu?

Meaning: How many?

Now let's learn how to express simple quantities.

One Apple

Üks õun.

One apple.

Two Apples

Kaks õuna.

Two apples.

Three Apples

Kolm õuna.

Three apples.

One Banana

Üks banaan.

One banana.

Two Bananas

Kaks banaani.

Two bananas.

Two Eggs

Kaks muna.

Two eggs.

Grammar Discovery

Compare:

One	Two
üks õun	kaks õuna
üks banaan	kaks banaani
üks muna	kaks muna

After numbers such as kaks and kolm, the noun usually takes the singular partitive.

You may notice that some forms change visibly while others look the same.

For now, learn the common combinations.

Practice

Say:

Kolm õuna, palun.

Kaks banaani, palun.

Kuus muna, palun.

Try changing the numbers.

8. Kilograms and Grams

When buying fruit, vegetables, meat, or other products, you'll encounter weight measurements.

Two important words:

kilo

Meaning: Kilo / Kilogram.

gramm

Meaning: Gram.

One Kilogram

Üks kilo.

One kilogram.

Two Kilograms

Kaks kilo.

Two kilograms.

Half a Kilogram

Pool kilo.

Half a kilogram.

Five Hundred Grams

Viissada grammi.

Five hundred grams.

Ordering by Weight

Üks kilo õunu, palun.

Meaning: One kilogram of apples, please.

Pool kilo tomateid, palun.

Meaning: Half a kilogram of tomatoes, please.

Viissada grammi juustu, palun.

Meaning: Five hundred grams of cheese, please.

Important Vocabulary Forms

Basic word	Quantity expression
õun	kilo õunu
tomat	kilo tomateid
juust	grammi juustu
kartul	kilo kartuleid

Grammar Discovery

After measurements, Estonian often uses the partitive form of the product.

For example:

• õun → õunu
• tomat → tomateid
• kartul → kartuleid

These are useful forms to recognize.

You don't need to memorize every plural partitive pattern yet.

Mini Dialogue

English Translation

Employee: Hello!

Customer: Hello!

Employee: How much would you like?

Customer: One kilogram of apples, please.

Employee: Anything else?

Customer: Half a kilogram of tomatoes, please.

Employee: Of course.

Customer: Thank you!

9. Liters and Bottles

You will also encounter volume measurements.

One Liter

Üks liiter.

Meaning: One liter.

Two Liters

Kaks liitrit.

Meaning: Two liters.

One Bottle

Üks pudel.

Meaning: One bottle.

Two Bottles

Kaks pudelit.

Meaning: Two bottles.

Useful Shopping Expressions

Üks liiter piima.

One liter of milk.

Kaks liitrit vett.

Two liters of water.

Üks pudel vett.

One bottle of water.

Kaks pudelit mahla.

Two bottles of juice.

Grammar Discovery

Notice:

• liiter → liitrit
• pudel → pudelit

These are singular partitive forms used after numbers greater than one.

The product inside the container can also have a partitive form.

For example:

Üks pudel vett.

The phrase pudel vett means a bottle of water.

Practice

Imagine you're buying:

• One bottle of water
• Two liters of milk
• Two bottles of juice

Say each expression aloud.

Suggested Answers

Üks pudel vett.

Kaks liitrit piima.

Kaks pudelit mahla.

10. Packages and Pieces

Not every grocery product is sold by weight or volume.

You may need to ask for a package or a certain number of pieces.

One Package

Üks pakk.

Meaning: One package.

Two Packages

Kaks pakki.

Meaning: Two packages.

One Piece

Üks tükk.

Meaning: One piece.

Two Pieces

Kaks tükki.

Meaning: Two pieces.

Useful Examples

Üks pakk piima.

One carton/package of milk.

Üks pakk riisi.

One package of rice.

Kaks pakki makarone.

Two packages of pasta.

Kaks tükki, palun.

Two pieces, please.

Pattern to Remember

Number + package/measurement + product

Examples:

• üks pudel vett
• kaks pakki makarone
• üks kilo õunu
• pool kilo tomateid

These combinations make your requests much more precise.

11. Reading Product Labels

When shopping in Estonia, you'll see important information printed on product packaging.

Let's learn the words that are most useful for beginners.

Estonian	English
hind	price
kaal	weight
kogus	quantity
koostisosad	ingredients
säilitamine	storage
kõlblik kuni	use by / expiry indication
parim enne	best before
päritoluriik	country of origin
soodushind	discounted price
allahindlus	discount

Listen to Important Words

Understanding a Simple Label

Imagine a fictional product label.

Toode: Piim

Kogus: 1 liiter

Hind: 1,49 €

Parim enne: 20.10.2026

English Meaning

• Product: Milk
• Quantity: One liter
• Price: €1.49
• Best before: October 20, 2026

Reading Challenge

Answer:

1. What is the product?
2. How much does it contain?
3. What is the price?
4. What does parim enne indicate?

Answers

1. Milk.
2. One liter.
3. €1.49.
4. A best-before date.

Important Distinction

Parim enne and kõlblik kuni are not interchangeable.

• Parim enne generally concerns the period during which an unopened product retains its expected quality under proper storage.
• Kõlblik kuni is a use-by date associated with food safety for relevant perishable products.

For products with a use-by date, follow the labeled date and storage instructions. Don't treat it as merely a quality recommendation.

12. Discounts and Special Offers

You may see discounts displayed in shops.

Let's learn some useful words.

Discount

allahindlus

Meaning: Discount / Price reduction.

Special Offer

sooduspakkumine

Meaning: Special offer.

Discounted Price

soodushind

Meaning: Discounted price.

Cheap

odav

Meaning: Cheap.

Expensive

kallis

Meaning: Expensive.

A Practical Question

Kas see on soodushinnaga?

Meaning: Is this discounted?

Example

Imagine a shelf label:

Tavahind: €3.49

Soodushind: €2.49

The discounted price is €2.49.

New Word

tavahind

Meaning: Regular price.

Grammar Discovery

The word soodushinnaga means "at a discounted price."

You have already encountered the ending -ga in expressions such as piimaga.

Its meaning depends on the entire construction.

In this context, it expresses the price condition.

For A1, learn soodushinnaga as a useful complete word.

13. At the Checkout

You learned several checkout expressions in Module 2.

Let's review them in a supermarket context.

Do You Have a Loyalty Card?

Kas teil on kliendikaart?

Do You Need a Bag?

Kas teil on kotti vaja?

By Card or Cash?

Kaardiga või sularahas?

Would You Like a Receipt?

Kas soovite tšekki?

Total

Kokku kaksteist eurot ja viiskümmend senti.

Meaning: Twelve euros and fifty cents in total.

Useful Responses

Jah, palun.

Yes, please.

Ei, aitäh.

No, thank you.

Kaardiga, palun.

By card, please.

Sularahas, palun.

In cash, please.

Full Checkout Dialogue

English Translation

Cashier: Hello!

Customer: Hello!

Cashier: Do you have a loyalty card?

Customer: No, thank you.

Cashier: Do you need a bag?

Customer: Yes, please.

Cashier: Twelve euros and fifty cents in total.

Cashier: By card or cash?

Customer: By card, please.

Cashier: Would you like a receipt?

Customer: No, thank you.

Cashier: Thank you! Goodbye!

Customer: Goodbye!

14. Your First Complete Grocery Shopping Conversation

Imagine you're shopping in a supermarket.

You need oat milk, apples, and rice.

You cannot find the oat milk, so you ask an employee.

Listen to the conversation.

English Translation

Customer: Hello!

Employee: Hello!

Customer: Excuse me, do you have oat milk?

Employee: Yes, we do.

Customer: Where is it?

Employee: Over there, next to the milk.

Customer: Thank you!

Employee: You're welcome!

Customer: Excuse me, where is the rice?

Employee: The rice is over there on the right.

Customer: Thank you!

Employee: Anything else?

Customer: No, thank you.

What Did You Learn?

You used several patterns together:

• Kas teil on ...?
• Kus see on?
• Kus on ...?
• Seal.
• Paremal.
• Kõrval.
• Aitäh!

These patterns help you find many different products without learning a separate sentence for every item.

Your Turn

Repeat the conversation.

Then replace:

• kaerapiim with juust
• riis with leib

Try the conversation again without looking at the English translation.

15. Grammar Discovery: Shopping Patterns

Let's organize the useful grammar from this lesson.

Pattern 1 — Asking Where Something Is

Kus on piim?

Kus on leib?

Kus on juust?

Kus on + product?

Pattern 2 — Asking Whether Something Is Available

Kas teil on piima?

Kas teil on mune?

Kas teil on riisi?

Kas teil on + product in an appropriate noun form?

Pattern 3 — Numbers and Quantities

Kaks õuna.

Kolm banaani.

Viis muna.

Numbers greater than one commonly take a singular partitive noun.

Pattern 4 — Weight and Measurement

Üks kilo õunu.

Pool kilo tomateid.

Üks liiter piima.

Measurement constructions often require the partitive form of the product.

Pattern 5 — Location

Juust on külmkapis.

Leib on paremal.

Piim on seal.

These introduce useful Estonian location expressions.

A1 Focus

At this stage, prioritize correct use of common expressions.

In later modules, you'll learn how noun forms change more systematically.

16. Listening Practice: Shopping Information

Listen to each expression.

Try to understand it before reading the answer options.

Listening 1

Kus on juust?

A. Where is the cheese?

B. How much does cheese cost?

C. Do you have cheese?

Listening 2

Kas teil on mune?

A. Do you have milk?

B. Do you have eggs?

C. Do you have bread?

Listening 3

Pool kilo tomateid.

A. One kilogram of tomatoes.

B. Half a kilogram of tomatoes.

C. Two kilograms of tomatoes.

Listening 4

Kaks pudelit vett.

A. Two bottles of water.

B. One bottle of water.

C. Two liters of juice.

Listening 5

Leib on paremal.

A. The bread is on the left.

B. The bread is on the right.

C. The bread is behind you.

Listening 6

Kas teil on kliendikaart?

A. Do you have a loyalty card?

B. Do you need a bag?

C. Would you like a receipt?

Answers

1. A
2. B
3. B
4. A
5. B
6. A

Extra Challenge

Listen again while hiding the written expressions.

Try to identify the important information directly from speech.

17. Reading Practice: A Shopping List

Imagine someone gives you this shopping list.

Ostunimekiri — Shopping List

Estonian	Quantity
Piim	2 liitrit
Leib	1
Munad	10
Õunad	1 kilo
Banaanid	4
Riis	1 pakk
Juust	200 grammi

New Word

ostunimekiri

Meaning: Shopping list.

Questions

1. How much milk is needed?
2. How many eggs are needed?
3. How many bananas are needed?
4. How much cheese is needed?
5. How much rice is needed?

Answers

1. Two liters.
2. Ten eggs.
3. Four bananas.
4. Two hundred grams.
5. One package.

Estonian Speaking Challenge

Say these quantities aloud:

Kaks liitrit piima.

Kümme muna.

Neli banaani.

Kakssada grammi juustu.

Üks pakk riisi.

18. Writing Practice

Exercise A — Complete the Sentences

Use the correct word.

Word bank:

piim, õunu, vett, külmkapis, paremal, kliendikaart

1. Kus on _____?
2. Üks kilo _____, palun.
3. Kaks pudelit _____.
4. Juust on _____.
5. Leib on _____.
6. Kas teil on _____?

Answers

1. piim
2. õunu
3. vett
4. külmkapis
5. paremal
6. kliendikaart

Exercise B — Translate into Estonian

Write these expressions:

1. Where is the milk?
2. Do you have eggs?
3. Two bottles of water.
4. One kilogram of apples.
5. Half a kilogram of tomatoes.
6. Where is the rice?

Suggested Answers

Kus on piim?

Kas teil on mune?

Kaks pudelit vett.

Üks kilo õunu.

Pool kilo tomateid.

Kus on riis?

Exercise C — Your Shopping List

Write a shopping list containing at least seven products.

Include:

• Two drinks or liquid products.
• Two fruits or vegetables.
• One dairy product or alternative.
• One packaged food.
• One additional product.

Add quantities where possible.

Example:

• 1 liiter piima
• 1 leib
• 6 muna
• 1 kilo õunu
• 2 banaani
• 1 pakk riisi
• 200 grammi juustu

Try writing your own list without copying the example.

19. Speaking Challenge: Three Supermarket Situations

Situation A — Finding a Product

You can't find the cheese.

Ask an employee for help.

Suggested response:

Vabandust, kus on juust?

Situation B — Asking About Availability

You want oat milk.

Ask whether the shop has it.

Suggested response:

Kas teil on kaerapiima?

Situation C — Buying by Weight

You want one kilogram of apples.

Suggested response:

Üks kilo õunu, palun.

Situation D — Buying Packaged Products

You want two bottles of water.

Suggested response:

Kaks pudelit vett, palun.

Situation E — At Checkout

The cashier asks:

Kaardiga või sularahas?

You want to pay by card.

Suggested response:

Kaardiga, palun.

Final Speaking Task

Imagine you're at a supermarket.

You need:

• Two liters of milk.
• One kilogram of apples.
• One package of rice.
• Two bottles of water.

Create a short conversation that includes:

1. A greeting.
2. A question about where something is.
3. A question about product availability.
4. A quantity expression.
5. A payment response.
6. A polite closing.

Try speaking without reading a complete script.

20. Knowledge Check

Choose the correct answer.

Question 1

What does Kus on piim? mean?

A. Where is the milk?

B. Do you have milk?

C. How much does milk cost?

Question 2

What does Kas teil on mune? mean?

A. Do you have eggs?

B. Where are the eggs?

C. How many eggs?

Question 3

Which expression means "One kilogram of apples"?

A. Üks kilo õun.

B. Üks kilo õunu.

C. Kaks kilo õunu.

Question 4

What does Pool kilo mean?

A. Two kilograms.

B. One kilogram.

C. Half a kilogram.

Question 5

What does Parem generally mean?

A. Right / better, depending on context.

B. Left.

C. Behind.

Question 6

Which word means "Shelf"?

A. riiul

B. külmkapp

C. kott

Question 7

What does Parim enne mean on food packaging?

A. Discounted price.

B. Best before.

C. Ingredients.

Question 8

Which expression means "Two bottles of water"?

A. Kaks pudelit vett.

B. Kaks liitrit piima.

C. Üks pudel vett.

Question 9

What does Soodushind mean?

A. Normal price.

B. Expiry date.

C. Discounted price.

Question 10

Which expression means "Where is the rice?"

A. Kas teil on riisi?

B. Kus on riis?

C. Kui palju riis maksab?

Answers

1. A
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. A
6. A
7. B
8. A
9. C
10. B

21. Real-World Mission

Your challenge is to use Estonian during a grocery shopping trip.

Mission A — Easy

Create a five-item shopping list in Estonian.

Take it with you to the supermarket.

Try recognizing the product names on labels.

Mission B — Intermediate

Ask an employee where something is.

For example:

Vabandust, kus on riis?

Try understanding the response.

If necessary:

Palun korrake.

Mission C — Challenge

Use at least three Estonian expressions during your visit.

For example:

1. Ask where a product is.
2. Ask whether another product is available.
3. Respond to a checkout question.

Mission D — Read a Product Label

Choose a familiar packaged food.

Find:

• Product name.
• Quantity.
• Price.
• Best-before or use-by date, if present.

Try recognizing at least three Estonian words.

Reflection

After shopping, ask yourself:

1. Which product names did I recognize?
2. Could I understand the quantity information?
3. Did I ask any questions in Estonian?
4. Which checkout expressions did I recognize?
5. What should I practice before my next shopping trip?

22. Lesson Summary

You've learned how to find products, use quantities, read basic labels, and communicate in a supermarket.

Essential Expressions

Estonian	English
Kus on piim?	Where is the milk?
Kus on leib?	Where is the bread?
Kas teil on mune?	Do you have eggs?
Kas teil on kaerapiima?	Do you have oat milk?
Kus see on?	Where is it?
Seal.	There.
Paremal.	On the right.
Vasakul.	On the left.
Üks kilo õunu.	One kilogram of apples.
Pool kilo tomateid.	Half a kilogram of tomatoes.
Kaks liitrit piima.	Two liters of milk.
Kaks pudelit vett.	Two bottles of water.
Üks pakk riisi.	One package of rice.
Kaks tükki, palun.	Two pieces, please.
Kas teil on kliendikaart?	Do you have a loyalty card?
Kaardiga, palun.	By card, please.

Important Shopping Vocabulary

• piim — milk
• leib — bread
• munad — eggs
• juust — cheese
• õunad — apples
• banaanid — bananas
• tomatid — tomatoes
• kartulid — potatoes
• riis — rice
• liiter — liter
• kilo — kilogram
• gramm — gram
• pudel — bottle
• pakk — package
• tükk — piece
• hind — price
• kogus — quantity
• koostisosad — ingredients
• soodushind — discounted price

Grammar You've Started Learning

This lesson introduced or reinforced:

• Questions with kus.
• Availability questions with kas teil on.
• Common plural noun forms.
• Partitive forms after numbers.
• Partitive forms in measurement expressions.
• Location expressions.
• Useful quantity and packaging structures.

These forms will appear repeatedly throughout the course.

23. A1 Progress Check

This lesson develops the following CEFR A1 foundation skills.

Listening

Understand familiar product names, quantities, and basic supermarket questions when spoken clearly.

Speaking

Ask for products, state quantities, and respond to simple shopping questions.

Interaction

Participate in predictable supermarket conversations and request help.

Reading

Understand common product names, simple shopping lists, quantities, and basic package labels.

Writing

Write a basic shopping list with familiar products and quantities.

Grammar

Recognize practical partitive forms, plural forms, and location expressions.

Before Moving On

Check whether you can:

• Recognize at least fifteen common grocery products.
• Ask where an item is located.
• Ask whether a product is available.
• Understand simple directions such as right and left.
• Use numbers with common grocery items.
• Ask for a kilogram or half kilogram.
• Understand liters, grams, and packages.
• Recognize basic food label information.
• Understand common checkout questions.
• Write a simple shopping list.
• Complete a short supermarket interaction.

If you can perform most of these tasks, you're ready for the next lesson.