When you're just starting to learn Estonian, one of the most useful verbs you'll encounter is armastama. It means 'to love'.
This verb is fundamental for expressing feelings and connections with people, animals, or even things you enjoy.
At the A1 level, understanding armastama allows you to begin forming basic sentences about affection.
You'll often see it used in simple declarations of love or liking.
When you're first learning Estonian, understanding how verbs work is super important. Armastama means 'to love'. It's a common verb, and you'll hear it a lot.
In Estonian, verbs change their endings depending on who is doing the action. For 'armastama', the base form is 'armasta'. Then you add different endings. For example, 'ma armastan' means 'I love', and 'sa armastad' means 'you love'.
There's also a negative form. To say 'I don't love', you'd say 'ma ei armasta'. Notice how the verb ending changes here too.
Getting familiar with these basic changes will help you form sentences correctly and express yourself clearly.
How Formal Is It?
"Ma austan sind sügavalt. (I deeply respect you.)"
"Ma armastan oma perekonda. (I love my family.)"
"Sa meeldid mulle väga. (I like you a lot.)"
"Emme, teeme kalli! (Mommy, let's make a hug!)"
"Ma fännan seda bändi! (I'm a fan of this band!)"
Beispiele nach Niveau
Ma armastan sind.
I love you.
Ta armastab oma perekonda.
She/He loves her/his family.
Me armastame Eestit.
We love Estonia.
Nad armastavad kohvi juua.
They love to drink coffee.
Kas sa armastad õppida eesti keelt?
Do you love to learn Estonian?
Lapsed armastavad mängida õues.
Children love to play outside.
Ma armastan oma tööd.
I love my job.
Kass armastab magada päikese käes.
The cat loves to sleep in the sun.
Wird oft verwechselt mit
This is 'I love you' and is the standard way to express love to a person.
This means 'I like it' and refers to liking something or someone, not loving.
This means 'I care about you' and implies affection and concern, but not the intensity of 'love'.
Leicht verwechselbar
'Kallis' can mean both 'expensive' and 'dear/beloved'. This can be confusing depending on context.
Context is key. When referring to a person, it means 'dear'. When referring to an object or price, it means 'expensive'.
See auto on väga kallis. (This car is very expensive.) Mu kallis sõber. (My dear friend.)
'Vana' means 'old', but unlike in English where 'old' can sometimes have a negative connotation for people, in Estonian it's a neutral descriptor.
In Estonian, it's perfectly normal to say 'vana inimene' (old person) without it being impolite. It refers to age, not necessarily frailty or outdatedness.
See on vana maja. (This is an old house.) Minu vanaisa on 80-aastane. (My grandfather is 80 years old.)
While 'aitäh' means 'thank you', sometimes learners try to use it with 'palju' (much) like 'thank you very much', which is incorrect.
'Aitäh' is sufficient on its own. If you want to emphasize it, you can say 'suur aitäh' (big thank you) or 'tänan väga' (thank you very much) using the verb 'tänama'.
Aitäh abi eest. (Thank you for the help.) Suur aitäh! (Thank you very much!)
'Palun' has multiple uses: 'please', 'you're welcome', and 'here you are/here it is'.
Its meaning depends on the context of the conversation. If someone thanks you, it's 'you're welcome'. If you're offering something, it's 'here you are'. If you're asking for something, it's 'please'.
Palun anna mulle soola. (Please give me salt.) Aitäh! - Palun! (Thank you! - You're welcome!) Siin on teie kohv. - Palun! (Here is your coffee. - Here you are!)
The difference between 'lähedal' (near) and 'lähemal' (closer) can be tricky for English speakers.
'Lähedal' indicates proximity, while 'lähemal' indicates a comparative degree of proximity, meaning 'closer to'.
See pood on lähedal. (This shop is near.) Tule natuke lähemale. (Come a little closer.)
Teste dich selbst 24 Fragen
Write two sentences describing something or someone you love, using 'armastama'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Ma armastan oma perekonda. Ma armastan lugeda raamatuid. (I love my family. I love to read books.)
Imagine you are writing a short note to a friend. Tell them you love a specific Estonian food. (e.g., kama, kiluvõileib).
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Tere sõber! Ma armastan eesti kama. See on väga maitsev! (Hi friend! I love Estonian kama. It's very tasty!)
Complete the sentence: 'Minu lemmik aastaaeg on kevad, sest ma armastan ____.' (My favorite season is spring, because I love ____.)
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Minu lemmik aastaaeg on kevad, sest ma armastan lilli. (My favorite season is spring, because I love flowers.)
Mida armastavad Kati ja Peetri lapsed? (What do Kati and Peeter's children love?)
Read this passage:
Kati ja Peeter on abielus. Nad armastavad teineteist väga. Neil on kaks last, kes samuti armastavad oma vanemaid ja oma koera.
Mida armastavad Kati ja Peetri lapsed? (What do Kati and Peeter's children love?)
The passage states, 'Nad armastavad oma vanemaid ja oma koera.' (They love their parents and their dog.)
The passage states, 'Nad armastavad oma vanemaid ja oma koera.' (They love their parents and their dog.)
Mida eestlased armastavad teha nädalavahetustel? (What do Estonians love to do on weekends?)
Read this passage:
Eestlased armastavad loodust. Paljud inimesed veedavad nädalavahetusi metsas või mere ääres. Nad armastavad matkata ja ujuda.
Mida eestlased armastavad teha nädalavahetustel? (What do Estonians love to do on weekends?)
The passage says, 'Nad armastavad matkata ja ujuda.' (They love to hike and swim.)
The passage says, 'Nad armastavad matkata ja ujuda.' (They love to hike and swim.)
Miks Jüri oma vanaema armastab? (Why does Jüri love his grandmother?)
Read this passage:
Jüri armastab oma vanaema. Vanaema teeb alati parimat kooki. Jüri armastab kooki väga.
Miks Jüri oma vanaema armastab? (Why does Jüri love his grandmother?)
The passage states, 'Vanaema teeb alati parimat kooki.' (Grandma always makes the best cake.)
The passage states, 'Vanaema teeb alati parimat kooki.' (Grandma always makes the best cake.)
Write a short paragraph about someone you admire. Explain why you admire them and what qualities you 'love' about them. Use the verb 'armastama' at least once.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Ma armastan oma vanaema. Ta on alati lahke ja toetav. Imetlen tema tugevust ja tarkust. Ta on mind palju õpetanud.
Imagine you are writing a letter to a friend, describing a new hobby you have recently started. Explain why you 'love' this hobby and what you enjoy about it. Use 'armastama' at least once.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Mu kallis sõber, ma alustasin hiljuti aiandusega ja ma armastan seda. Mulle meeldib vaadata, kuidas taimed kasvavad ja värsket õhku nautida. See on nii rahustav.
Describe your favorite season of the year. What do you 'love' about it? What activities do you enjoy doing during this time? Use 'armastama' at least once.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Ma armastan suve! Ilm on soe ja päike paistab. Mulle meeldib rannas käia ja ujuda. See on parim aeg puhkamiseks.
Mida Kati ja Peeter hommikuti teevad?
Read this passage:
Kati ja Peeter on abielus. Nad armastavad teineteist väga. Igal hommikul joovad nad koos kohvi ja räägivad oma päevaplaanidest. Õhtuti meeldib neile koos filmi vaadata.
Mida Kati ja Peeter hommikuti teevad?
Tekstis on öeldud: 'Igal hommikul joovad nad koos kohvi ja räägivad oma päevaplaanidest.'
Tekstis on öeldud: 'Igal hommikul joovad nad koos kohvi ja räägivad oma päevaplaanidest.'
Mis on Mari hobiks?
Read this passage:
Mari armastab loomi. Tal on kaks kassi ja üks koer. Ta veedab palju aega nendega mängides ja nende eest hoolitsedes. Mari arvates teevad loomad elu paremaks.
Mis on Mari hobiks?
Tekstis on selgelt öeldud: 'Mari armastab loomi.'
Tekstis on selgelt öeldud: 'Mari armastab loomi.'
Miks Jüri armastab pastat?
Read this passage:
Jüri on kokk. Ta armastab uusi retsepte proovida ja oma sõpradele maitsvaid toite valmistada. Tema lemmikroog on pasta, sest seda saab valmistada nii paljudel erinevatel viisidel.
Miks Jüri armastab pastat?
Tekstis on öeldud: 'Tema lemmikroog on pasta, sest seda saab valmistada nii paljudel erinevatel viisidel.'
Tekstis on öeldud: 'Tema lemmikroog on pasta, sest seda saab valmistada nii paljudel erinevatel viisidel.'
In Estonian, the typical sentence structure is Subject-Verb-Object. 'Ma' is the subject (I), 'armastan' is the verb (love), and 'sind' is the object (you).
Here, 'Koer' (Dog) is the subject, 'armastab' (loves) is the verb, and 'oma peret' (its family) is the object.
'Vanemad' (Parents) is the subject, 'armastavad' (love) is the verb, and 'oma lapsi' (their children) is the object.
Pay close attention to the pronunciation and intonation of 'armastuse teekond' (path of love).
Listen for how 'kirglikult' (passionately) and 'pühendades' (dedicating) are articulated in the sentence.
Focus on the pronunciation of 'sügavalt' and the overall rhythm of the sentence.
Read this aloud:
Ütle ette: "Armastada tähendab aktsepteerida teise inimese täielikkust, nii tugevusi kui ka nõrkusi."
Focus: 'aktsepteerida', 'täielikkust'
Du hast gesagt:
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Read this aloud:
Harjuta lause hääldust: "Nende suhe oli ehitatud vastastikusele armastusele ja sügavale lugupidamisele, mis pidas vastu kõikidele proovikividele."
Focus: 'vastastikusele', 'lugupidamisele', 'proovikividele'
Du hast gesagt:
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Read this aloud:
Korda pärast mind: "Olgugi et elu paiskas nende teele takistusi, jäi nende armastus vankumatuks, andes neile jõudu edasi minna."
Focus: 'olgugi', 'paiskas', 'vankumatuks'
Du hast gesagt:
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/ 24 correct
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