Bedeutung
Expressing a tentative opinion or agreement.
Kultureller Hintergrund
Estonians value 'talupojamõistus' (peasant wisdom/common sense). 'Ma arvan nii' reflects a grounded, non-flashy way of speaking that is highly respected. Like their Finnish and Swedish neighbors, Estonians use hedging phrases to maintain social egalitarianism. No one wants to sound like they are better or smarter than the group. In Slack or Teams, Estonians often use the 'thumbs up' emoji as a digital equivalent of 'Ma arvan nii'. It’s a quick, low-friction agreement. In universities, 'Ma arvan nii' is often the starting point for a 'dispuut' (dispute). It signals that the speaker is open to being proven wrong.
The 'Safe' Answer
If you don't want to say 'no' but aren't ready to say 'yes', 'Ma arvan nii' is your best friend.
Don't over-roll the R
The 'r' in 'arvan' is short and tapped, not a long trill like in Spanish.
Bedeutung
Expressing a tentative opinion or agreement.
The 'Safe' Answer
If you don't want to say 'no' but aren't ready to say 'yes', 'Ma arvan nii' is your best friend.
Don't over-roll the R
The 'r' in 'arvan' is short and tapped, not a long trill like in Spanish.
Add 'ka'
Say 'Ma arvan ka nii' (I think so too) to instantly bond with an Estonian speaker.
Body Language
A small nod while saying this phrase makes you look very native.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing word to say 'I think so'.
Kas sa oled valmis? Ma ______ nii.
'Arvan' is the correct verb for expressing an opinion or tentative agreement.
Which of these means 'I don't think so'?
Select the correct negative form:
In Estonian, negation is formed with 'ei' + the base form of the verb.
Complete the dialogue with the most natural response.
A: Kas see pood on pühapäeval lahti? B: ________, aga kontrolli veebist.
'Ma arvan nii' is the most natural way to express a likely but unconfirmed fact.
Match the phrase to the situation.
You are 80% sure your friend's birthday is tomorrow.
Use 'Ma arvan nii' when you have a high but not absolute level of certainty.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Certainty Levels
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenKas sa oled valmis? Ma ______ nii.
'Arvan' is the correct verb for expressing an opinion or tentative agreement.
Select the correct negative form:
In Estonian, negation is formed with 'ei' + the base form of the verb.
A: Kas see pood on pühapäeval lahti? B: ________, aga kontrolli veebist.
'Ma arvan nii' is the most natural way to express a likely but unconfirmed fact.
You are 80% sure your friend's birthday is tomorrow.
Use 'Ma arvan nii' when you have a high but not absolute level of certainty.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
12 FragenYes, in casual speech, Estonians often drop the 'Ma'.
'Arvan' is logical/opinion-based; 'Usun' is belief/faith-based.
Yes, it sounds professional and thoughtful.
Add 'ka': 'Ma arvan ka nii.'
'Mõtlen' is for the process of thinking, not the opinion.
In this context, yes. In others, it can mean 'this way' or 'thus'.
'Vist jah' is a very common casual alternative.
No, that wouldn't make sense. Use 'Hästi' or 'Normaalselt'.
No, it's a standard 'v' as in 'very'.
Yes, as a tag: '...või ma vähemalt arvan nii.'
It is one of the most common phrases in the language.
It is taught at A1, the very beginning.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Arvan küll
similarI certainly think so
Ma usun nii
similarI believe so
Tundub nii
similarIt seems so
Ma ei arva nii
contrastI don't think so
Minu arvates
builds onIn my opinion
Nii ja naa
contrastSo-so / Yes and no
