Tenses are an important aspect of Estonian grammar as they help us express the time and duration of an action or state. In Estonian, there are three simple tenses: present, past, and future. These tenses are formed by adding specific suffixes to the verb stem.
The present tense is used to describe actions or states that are happening at the moment or are generally true. It is formed by adding the suffix “-b/-v” to the verb stem.
The past tense is used to describe actions or states that have already happened. It is formed by adding the suffix “-s/-sid/-nud” to the verb stem, depending on the vowel harmony.
The future tense is used to describe actions or states that will happen in the future. It is formed by adding the suffix “-n/-vad” to the verb stem.
In addition to these simple tenses, Estonian also has compound tenses, such as the perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect. These tenses are formed by using the auxiliary verbs “olema” (to be) and “olema hakkama” (to become).
Overall, understanding tenses in Estonian grammar is essential for expressing time and duration accurately in the language.
The most efficient way to learn a language
Try Talkpal for free
Download talkpal app Talkpal is an AI-powered language tutor. It’s the most efficient way to learn a language. Chat about an unlimited amount of interesting topics either by writing or speaking while receiving messages with realistic voice.
_icon.svg){kind=icon}
Talkpal, Inc., 2810 N Church St, Wilmington, Delaware 19802, US
© 2025 All Rights Reserved.
