Estonian Greetings & Essential Phrases: The Complete Guide

Greetings are the first thing you learn in Estonian — and one of the fastest ways to sound either natural or like a tourist reading from a phrasebook. Knowing when to use tere versus tere hommikust, when a casual tšau fits and when it doesn't, and how the informal sina versus formal teie system works will carry you a long way. The good news: Estonian spelling is almost perfectly phonetic and stress always lands on the first syllable, so once you see a phrase written, you can say it. This guide covers the greetings, farewells, everyday phrases and cultural notes you need.

The essential Estonian greetings

Estonian has a versatile all-purpose greeting plus time-of-day greetings built from the same root word tere. Here is the full picture, with pronunciation hints (capitals mark the stressed first syllable):

For most learners, tere alone covers the great majority of situations — it is neutral and never wrong. The time-of-day forms add polish, and tere hommikust in particular is very common. Note that tere can also be doubled informally (tere-tere) as a warm, friendly hello.

Estonian goodbyes

Saying goodbye well matters as much as the greeting. Estonian farewells range from formal to very casual:

If you learn just two, make them head aega (goodbye) and nägemist (see you). Together they cover nearly every parting.

Formal vs informal Estonian — sina and teie

Like French, Russian and many other European languages, Estonian distinguishes two ways of saying "you," and choosing correctly is a real social skill. English lost this distinction centuries ago, so it takes conscious effort:

• sina (short form sa) — informal "you." Used with friends, family, children, classmates and people your own age in relaxed settings. The verb agrees with it: Kuidas sul läheb? (How are you?).
• teie (short form te) — formal "you." Used with strangers, older people you don't know, officials, in shops and offices, and in professional contexts. It is also the plural "you" when addressing a group. In letters it is often capitalised as Teie as a mark of respect: Kuidas Teil läheb?

The rule of thumb: when in doubt, use teie. Being politely formal is never offensive, whereas using sina with someone who expects teie can seem overly familiar. Estonians tend to switch to sina fairly readily among peers, but let the older or more senior person offer the switch first.

Essential everyday phrases

Beyond greetings, a small set of phrases gets you through most daily interactions. Learn these early — they come up constantly:

Introducing yourself in Estonian

A typical introduction goes like this:

• Minu nimi on Anna. — My name is Anna.
• Ma olen Anna. — I am Anna. (More direct, very common)
• Mis sinu nimi on? — What is your name? (informal)
• Mis teie nimi on? — What is your name? (formal)
• Kust sa pärit oled? — Where are you from? (informal)
• Ma olen pärit Inglismaalt / Ameerikast / Austraaliast. — I am from England / America / Australia.
• Ma õpin eesti keelt. — I am learning Estonian.
• Ma räägin natuke eesti keelt. — I speak a little Estonian.
• Meeldiv tutvuda! — Nice to meet you!
• Väga meeldiv. — Very nice (to meet you).

Notice that Estonian has no word for "a" or "the" — there are no articles at all. Ma olen õpetaja simply means "I am a teacher." Notice too that tema (he/she) is gender-neutral: Estonian does not distinguish "he" from "she," so context tells you who is meant.

Cultural notes — reserve, directness and silence

Understanding the culture behind the language helps you use these phrases naturally:

Estonians are reserved with strangers. Effusive small talk is not the norm, and comfortable silences are genuinely comfortable. A brief tere and a nod is a complete, friendly greeting — you don't need to fill the air with chatter.

Directness is normal. Estonians tend to say what they mean without a lot of cushioning. A plain answer is not rudeness; it is efficiency. Don't read coldness into brevity.

"How are you" is not automatic. Unlike English, Kuidas läheb? is a genuine question, not a throwaway greeting. If you ask it, expect (and give) a real answer.

Handshakes and personal space. A firm, brief handshake is standard when meeting someone formally. Estonians generally value a bit of personal space and are not big on hugging people they've just met.

Politeness through the formal register. Using teie, vabandage and palun with people you don't know signals respect. It's an easy, reliable way to make a good first impression.

Pronunciation tips for greetings

A few features of Estonian pronunciation shape how these greetings sound:

• Stress is always on the first syllable. Tere = TEH-reh, aitäh = AI-tæh, vabandust = VA-ban-dust. Never stress later syllables.
• Every letter is pronounced and vowels stay pure — e is always "eh," a is always "ah," i is always "ee." Tere is not "teer" but two clear syllables.
• The letter õ in tere õhtust is a special Estonian vowel with no English equivalent — a back, unrounded sound roughly between "uh" and "oo." More on this in our pronunciation guide.
• ä, ö, ü are separate vowels: ä as in "cat" (päev), ö and ü made with rounded lips.
• Double letters are held longer. The öö in head ööd is a genuinely long vowel — length changes meaning in Estonian, so don't rush it.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say hello in Estonian?

The most versatile hello is tere — neutral, friendly and correct in almost any situation. For time-specific greetings use tere hommikust (good morning), tere päevast (good day) or tere õhtust (good evening). Casual options among friends include tervist and the borrowed tšau.

What does "aitäh" mean in Estonian?

Aitäh means "thank you" and is the everyday word for thanks in any setting. The slightly more formal alternative is tänan ("I thank you"), and for emphasis you can say suur aitäh or suur tänu (thank you very much). The reply is palun (you're welcome).

What is the difference between formal and informal Estonian?

Estonian uses sina (informal "you") with people you know well and peers, and teie (formal "you") with strangers, older people, officials and in professional contexts. Teie is also the plural "you." When unsure, default to teie and let the other person invite you to switch to sina.

Related guides

• Estonian pronunciation guide
• Common Estonian mistakes English speakers make
• EstoniaSpeak — learn Estonian