Estonian grammar

Does anyone know a good resource for Estonian grammar? I have software that is very helpful in learning words, but I really don%26#39;t know how to string them (correctly) into sentences. For instance, you can say %26quot;I am%26quot; as %26quot;Ma olen%26quot; or %26quot;Mul on%26quot; but I don%26#39;t know which to use when. I%26#39;m afraid I%26#39;m going to sound mentally challenged!

I tried to find something on this topic on the web but other than a brief wikipedia entry that wasn%26#39;t too helpful, I came up with only books that I can buy on the topic (none of which are in my local bookstores, of course).

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Since nobody else has tackled the main question, I%26#39;ll nip in quickly to note that %26quot;mul on%26quot; means I have, not I am.

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So instead of saying %26quot;I am hurt%26quot; (Mul on vigastus) you are actually saying %26quot;I have hurt%26quot;?

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That%26#39;s the idea. The same applies to being hungry, if Estonian follows the Finnish pattern.

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So how do you know when you %26quot;have%26quot; versus %26quot;am%26quot;?

See, this is why I need the grammar rules

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Well, you%26#39;re better off learning it case by case than trying to apply a general rule, or you%26#39;ll be forever tied up in the entirely philosophical (and useless) difference between being hungry and having hunger.

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Now I%26#39;m understanding why it is complicated :)

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Not really. Forget about the form and concentrate on the meaning.

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I have a feeling I%26#39;m going to be doing alot of pointing and saying simple words. LOL!

Thanks as always, JtF!

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Hi

Although it is extremely thoughtful of you to try and speak the language, almost everyone you will meet will speak English very well.

If learning Estonian is something you want to take up I believe there are summer school courses on offer at various universities in Estonia.

Jackie

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I would not worry about the in and outs of Estonian grammar before you even start classes - and you won%26#39;t need to use the %26#39;I have, you have%26#39; syntax for at least the first few days of study! The best book to get you started in %26#39;E nagu Eesti%26#39; - a solid mix of grammar, vocab and written Estonian. (It%26#39;s in Estonian but with a helpful dictionary at the back in English, Finnish, German and Russian.) With this book you will need a tutor at first. In Estonian it%26#39;s helpful to understand the technicalities of the language (at least I think so) and sometimes just learning it off isn%26#39;t enough. As there is no verb %26#39;to have%26#39; in Estonian, the possessive form is used in conjunction with %26#39;to be%26#39;. Mu is the diminutive or abbreviated version of %26#39;Minu%26#39; meaning %26#39;my%26#39;. If you are looking for a basic phrasebook to help you differentiate between common phrases, college bookstores and even Apollo (on Viru Tänav) will have a selection. Avoid %26#39;Colloquial Estonian%26#39; workbook and CDs. They are terrible.