Hello, Thank You, Goodbye

Welcome to your first Estonian lesson!

You don't need to understand Estonian grammar yet. Today, you'll learn a handful of expressions you can start using immediately in Estonia.

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

• Greet someone in Estonian.
• Ask how someone is doing.
• Say thank you and respond politely.
• Say goodbye naturally.
• Recognize these expressions when someone says them to you.

Your first goal is simple: use at least one Estonian expression in a real conversation today.

1. Your First Estonian Word

Tere!

Meaning: Hello!

Tere is one of the most useful words in Estonian.

You can use it when:

• Entering a shop
• Meeting a colleague
• Greeting a neighbor
• Arriving at a reception desk
• Meeting someone for the first time

You don't need a different greeting for every situation.

In Estonia, a simple Tere! works almost everywhere.

Try it

Imagine entering a small café in Tallinn.

The employee looks at you.

What do you say?

Tere!

That's it. You've started your first Estonian conversation.

2. Greetings Throughout the Day

Estonian has greetings that refer to different times of day.

Good morning

Tere hommikust!

Meaning: Good morning!

Use this when greeting someone in the morning.

Good afternoon / Good day

Tere päevast!

Meaning: Good day!

A polite daytime greeting.

Good evening

Tere õhtust!

Meaning: Good evening!

Use this when greeting someone in the evening.

Which one should you use?

If you aren't sure, simply say:

Tere!

It is correct and natural throughout the day.

Practical tip: You don't need to memorize all three time-specific greetings immediately. Prioritize Tere! and learn to recognize the others.

3. How Are You?

After greeting someone, you might hear:

Kuidas läheb?

Meaning: How's it going?

This is a common conversational question.

For now, you only need a few simple responses.

I'm fine, thank you.

Hästi, aitäh!

Meaning: Fine, thank you!

Very well!

Väga hästi!

Meaning: Very well!

So-so.

Nii ja naa.

Meaning: So-so.

And you?

Aga sul?

Meaning: And you? (informal)

When speaking politely to someone you don't know, you can use:

Aga teil?

Meaning: And you? (polite/formal)

You do not need to study the grammar behind sul and teil yet.

Just recognize that Estonian distinguishes between informal and polite forms of address.

4. Your First Conversation

Imagine meeting a friendly neighbor in the morning.

Listen to the whole conversation.

English meaning

Person A: Good morning!

Person B: Hello! How's it going?

Person A: Fine, thank you! And you?

Person B: I'm doing well too.

Notice something useful

You already understand most of this conversation!

Let's look at one new expression:

Mul läheb ka hästi.

Meaning: I'm doing well too.

The word ka means also or too.

You will encounter it frequently in everyday Estonian.

Practice aloud

Read the dialogue again.

First, speak as Person A.

Then switch roles and speak as Person B.

Repeat until you can respond without looking at the English translation.

5. Thank You and Please

Two essential expressions:

Thank you

Aitäh!

Meaning: Thank you!

You'll hear this everywhere in Estonia.

Use it when someone:

• Hands you a coffee
• Opens a door
• Answers a question
• Gives you something
• Helps you

Please / You're welcome

Palun.

Depending on context, palun can mean:

• Please
• You're welcome
• Here you go

For example, when ordering something:

Üks kohv, palun.

Meaning: One coffee, please.

When someone thanks you:

Meaning:

Thank you!

You're welcome!

Important

Don't worry about memorizing every use of palun.

Simply remember that it is a very common polite expression.

6. Excuse Me and Sorry

Vabandust!

Meaning: Excuse me! / Sorry!

You can use it when:

• Trying to get someone's attention
• Accidentally bumping into someone
• Interrupting politely
• Asking for help

For example, imagine someone is standing in your way at a supermarket.

You can say:

Vabandust!

This is an excellent word to memorize early.

7. Saying Goodbye

Goodbye

Head aega!

Meaning: Goodbye!

This is a standard, polite way to say goodbye.

See you!

Nägemist!

Meaning: Goodbye! / See you!

You will hear this frequently in shops, offices and everyday interactions.

Bye!

Tšau!

Meaning: Bye!

This is informal and common among friends and people who know each other.

Good night

Head ööd!

Meaning: Good night!

Use this when someone is going to sleep or when saying goodbye late at night.

It is not the usual expression for greeting someone in the evening.

8. Real-Life Dialogue: At a Café

You walk into a café in Tallinn.

The employee greets you.

Listen carefully.

English meaning

Employee: Hello!

You: Hello!

You: One coffee, please.

Employee: Here you go!

You: Thank you!

You: Goodbye!

Employee: Goodbye!

What did you notice?

You can participate in an entire simple café interaction with just a few expressions.

You don't yet know how to construct every sentence grammatically.

That's perfectly fine.

Learn useful expressions first. Understand their structure gradually.

9. Recognize the Expressions

Read each situation and choose the correct response.

Question 1

You enter a shop in Tallinn.

What is the most natural greeting?

A. Head aega!

B. Tere!

C. Aitäh!

Question 2

Someone hands you your coffee.

What do you say?

A. Aitäh!

B. Nägemist!

C. Tere õhtust!

Question 3

A cashier says:

Aitäh!

Which expression can mean "You're welcome"?

A. Tere!

B. Palun!

C. Head ööd!

Question 4

You are leaving an office.

What could you say?

A. Head aega!

B. Tere hommikust!

C. Kuidas läheb?

Question 5

Someone says:

Kuidas läheb?

Which is an appropriate response?

A. Hästi, aitäh!

B. Head aega!

C. Vabandust!

10. Listen and Understand

Try to understand these expressions without reading their English meanings first.

Tere päevast!

Aitäh!

Kuidas läheb?

Head aega!

Vabandust!

After listening, explain each expression in English.

Repeat the activity until you recognize all five.

11. Speaking Practice

Imagine these five situations.

Say your answer aloud before revealing or reading the suggested response.

Situation 1 — Meeting a colleague

It's morning. You enter the office and see a colleague.

Suggested response:

Tere hommikust!

Situation 2 — Receiving a package

A delivery person hands you your package.

Suggested response:

Aitäh!

Situation 3 — Leaving a shop

You have finished shopping.

Suggested response:

Head aega!

Situation 4 — Getting someone's attention

You need to politely ask a stranger something.

Suggested response:

Vabandust!

Situation 5 — Responding to a greeting

Someone asks how you are.

Suggested response:

Hästi, aitäh!

12. Your Real-World Mission

Today or tomorrow, try using Estonian in one real interaction.

Mission A — Easy

When entering a shop, say:

Tere!

When leaving, say:

Head aega!

Mission B — Intermediate

When someone helps you, say:

Aitäh!

Mission C — Challenge

If an appropriate opportunity arises, ask someone:

Kuidas läheb?

Try to recognize their answer, even if you don't understand every word.

You don't need to understand everything to begin communicating.

13. Lesson Summary

You've learned your first everyday Estonian expressions.

Estonian	English
Tere!	Hello!
Tere hommikust!	Good morning!
Tere päevast!	Good day!
Tere õhtust!	Good evening!
Kuidas läheb?	How's it going?
Hästi, aitäh!	Fine, thank you!
Väga hästi!	Very well!
Nii ja naa.	So-so.
Aitäh!	Thank you!
Palun.	Please / You're welcome
Vabandust!	Excuse me / Sorry
Head aega!	Goodbye!
Nägemist!	Goodbye! / See you!
Tšau!	Bye!
Head ööd!	Good night!

A1 Progress

This lesson contributes to the following CEFR A1 foundation skills:

• Recognizing common greetings.
• Using basic polite expressions.
• Participating in short, predictable exchanges.
• Responding to a familiar question about how you are.

These are introductory skills. You'll strengthen them through repeated practice in future lessons.

Answer Key

Question 1: B — Tere!

Question 2: A — Aitäh!

Question 3: B — Palun!

Question 4: A — Head aega!

Question 5: A — Hästi, aitäh!

Before Moving On

Check whether you can:

• Say hello in Estonian.
• Say thank you and please.
• Ask someone how they're doing.
• Respond with "Fine, thank you."
• Say goodbye.
• Recognize at least five expressions when listening.

If you can do these things, you're ready for the next lesson!