When you're at a restaurant, you might see kana on the menu. This refers to chicken as a type of meat, similar to how you'd say 'beef' or 'pork'. For example, kanasupp is chicken soup.
However, kana can also refer to the live bird. So, if you're on a farm and you see a group of chickens, you can call them kanad (plural). You'll often hear it in phrases like kana muna (chicken egg).
The context usually makes it clear whether you're talking about the animal or the food. Just like in English, 'chicken' can mean both.
How Formal Is It?
"Kana liha on tervislik valik."
"Ma söön täna kana."
"Ostsin poest kana."
"Tibuke jookseb hoovis ringi."
"See vend on täielik kana."
Beispiele nach Niveau
Ma söön kana.
I eat chicken.
See on suur kana.
This is a big chicken.
Kana on õues.
The chicken is outside.
Mulle meeldib kana.
I like chicken.
Kas sul on kana?
Do you have a chicken?
Kana muneb mune.
A chicken lays eggs.
Meil on palju kanu.
We have many chickens.
Kas see on kana või kukk?
Is this a hen or a rooster?
Ma armastan kana süüa.
I love eating chicken.
süüm (to eat) in inflected form süüa
Kana on maitsev lind.
Chicken is a tasty bird.
maitsev (tasty) is an adjective
Kas teil on kana?
Do you have chicken?
kas indicates a yes/no question
See kana muna on suur.
This chicken egg is big.
kana is in genitive case here, describing muna (egg)
Tal on õues palju kanu.
He has many chickens outside.
kanu is the partitive plural of kana
Me ostsime poest terve kana.
We bought a whole chicken from the store.
terve (whole) is an adjective
Kas eelistad kana või kala?
Do you prefer chicken or fish?
eelistama (to prefer)
Kanafilee on tervislik valik.
Chicken fillet is a healthy choice.
kanafilee is a compound word
Tipps
Basic use of 'kana'
In Estonian, 'kana' refers to both the chicken meat you eat and the living bird itself. There's no separate word like 'poultry' for the meat, or 'hen' or 'rooster' for the specific bird types at this basic level.
Singular vs. plural
The word 'kana' is singular. If you want to talk about multiple chickens (the birds), you'd say 'kanad'. For example, 'Ma söön kana' (I eat chicken) vs. 'Tal on kanad' (He/she has chickens).
Pronunciation practice
Listen carefully to the pronunciation of 'kana'. The 'a' sounds are like the 'a' in 'father'. The 'k' is a bit softer than in English, and the 'n' is similar to the English 'n'.
Common phrases with 'kana'
You'll often hear 'kanafilee' (chicken fillet) or 'kanasupp' (chicken soup). These are very common food items in Estonia.
Chicken in Estonian cuisine
Chicken is a very popular meat in Estonia, much like in many Western countries. It's found in various dishes, from roasted whole chickens to stews and salads.
Don't confuse with 'kann'
Be careful not to confuse 'kana' with 'kann' (jug/pot). The double 'n' in 'kann' changes the pronunciation and meaning entirely.
Using 'kana' in sentences
Try forming simple sentences: 'Ma armastan kana' (I love chicken), 'See on kana' (This is a chicken), 'Kana on maitsev' (Chicken is tasty). Focus on basic sentence structure.
Grammar: Partitive case
When you talk about eating 'some chicken' (an unspecified amount), you'll use the partitive case: 'Ma söön kana'. Notice that 'kana' remains the same as the nominative singular in this instance for A1 learners, but know that case endings change words in Estonian.
Context is key
Since 'kana' can mean both the bird and the meat, the context of your sentence will make it clear which one you're referring to. For example, 'kana muneb mune' (the chicken lays eggs) clearly refers to the bird.
Visual association
When learning 'kana', try to visualize both a live chicken and a plate of chicken meat to solidify the dual meaning in your mind.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
Imagine a 'can-a' (kana) of chicken soup. The sound 'kana' sounds a bit like 'can-a'.
Visuelle Assoziation
Picture a happy, clucking chicken running around, and then imagine a plate of delicious chicken dinner. Associate both images with the word 'kana'.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Try to say 'Ma armastan kana' (I love chicken) every time you see a chicken or chicken meat. Or, when you hear the word 'chicken' in English, think 'kana'.
Teste dich selbst 24 Fragen
Which sentence correctly uses 'kana' to refer to the bird?
The sentence 'Ma näen õues suurt kana' (I see a big chicken outside) refers to the live bird. The other options refer to chicken meat.
Which of these dishes likely contains 'kana' as meat?
'Kana kaste' directly translates to 'chicken sauce', indicating chicken meat is an ingredient. The other options are pork, minced meat (could be anything), and salmon.
If someone says 'Ma kasvatan kanu', what are they doing?
'Ma kasvatan kanu' means 'I am raising chickens'. 'Kanu' is the plural partitive of 'kana'.
You can have 'kana' for dinner if you are a vegetarian.
'Kana' refers to chicken meat, which is not suitable for vegetarians.
A farmer might have many 'kanad' on their farm.
'Kanad' is the plural of 'kana' (chicken, the bird). Farmers often raise many chickens.
If a menu lists 'Kanafilee', it means a fillet of fish.
'Kanafilee' means 'chicken fillet', not fish fillet. Fish fillet would be 'kalafilee'.
The speaker is talking about tonight's dinner.
A choice between two types of meat.
The speaker saw farm animals.
Read this aloud:
Kas sa tahaksid täna õhtul kana süüa?
Focus: kana, süüa
Du hast gesagt:
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Read this aloud:
Talus on suur kanade kari.
Focus: talus, kanade, kari
Du hast gesagt:
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Read this aloud:
Ma eelistan kana teistele lihadele.
Focus: eelistan, kana, lihadele
Du hast gesagt:
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Imagine you are at a restaurant in Estonia. Describe what you would order if you wanted chicken. Include details about how it's prepared or what it comes with. Write 2-3 sentences.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Restoranis tahaksin tellida praetud kana kartulite ja salatiga. See on minu lemmiktoit. Loodan, et see on maitsev.
Write a short paragraph about the difference between a live chicken (lind) and chicken meat (liha). Use the word 'kana' in both contexts.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Kana võib olla elus lind, kes jookseb talus ringi. Samas, kui me räägime toidust, siis kana tähendab linnu liha, mida me sööme. On oluline mõista, millises kontekstis sõna 'kana' kasutatakse.
You are explaining to a friend how to make a simple chicken dish. Write a short recipe, mentioning 'kana' at least once.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Lihtsa kanaroa tegemiseks vajad sa kanafileed. Maitsesta see soola ja pipraga. Prae pannil, kuni kana on küps. Serveeri riisi või köögiviljadega. See on kiire ja maitsev toit.
Mida tegid kanad aias?
Read this passage:
Eile käisime talus ja nägime palju erinevaid loomi, sealhulgas kanu. Kanad jalutasid aias ringi ja nokkisid teri. Hiljem sõime õhtusöögiks maitsvat kana. See oli perele suur rõõm.
Mida tegid kanad aias?
Lõigus öeldakse: 'Kanad jalutasid aias ringi ja nokkisid teri.' (The chickens walked around in the garden and pecked at grains.)
Lõigus öeldakse: 'Kanad jalutasid aias ringi ja nokkisid teri.' (The chickens walked around in the garden and pecked at grains.)
Miks on kanaliha Eestis populaarne?
Read this passage:
Eestis on kanaliha väga populaarne ja seda serveeritakse tihti erinevates roogades. Paljud restoranid pakuvad grillitud kana, kana-karrit või kanasalatit. Kodus valmistatakse kana samuti sageli, eriti nädalavahetustel.
Miks on kanaliha Eestis populaarne?
Lõigus mainitakse, et 'kanaliha on väga populaarne ja seda serveeritakse tihti erinevates roogades' ning 'kodus valmistatakse kana samuti sageli'.
Lõigus mainitakse, et 'kanaliha on väga populaarne ja seda serveeritakse tihti erinevates roogades' ning 'kodus valmistatakse kana samuti sageli'.
Mida vanaema ja tema pere igal hommikul kanafarmist korjasid?
Read this passage:
Vanaema rääkis, et lapsepõlves oli neil maal suur kanafarm. Igal hommikul korjasid nad värskeid kanamune. See oli raske töö, kuid andis perele toitu ja ka võimaluse mune müüa. Nüüd on paljudel peredel ikka veel mõned kanad oma aias.
Mida vanaema ja tema pere igal hommikul kanafarmist korjasid?
Lõigus on öeldud: 'Igal hommikul korjasid nad värskeid kanamune.' (Every morning they collected fresh chicken eggs.)
Lõigus on öeldud: 'Igal hommikul korjasid nad värskeid kanamune.' (Every morning they collected fresh chicken eggs.)
This sentence structure reflects a common advanced Estonian expression for complex issues requiring deep analysis.
This sentence demonstrates the correct word order for discussing strategic vision integration at a C1 level.
This exercise tests understanding of complex sentence structures involving interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative approaches.
/ 24 correct
Perfect score!
Basic use of 'kana'
In Estonian, 'kana' refers to both the chicken meat you eat and the living bird itself. There's no separate word like 'poultry' for the meat, or 'hen' or 'rooster' for the specific bird types at this basic level.
Singular vs. plural
The word 'kana' is singular. If you want to talk about multiple chickens (the birds), you'd say 'kanad'. For example, 'Ma söön kana' (I eat chicken) vs. 'Tal on kanad' (He/she has chickens).
Pronunciation practice
Listen carefully to the pronunciation of 'kana'. The 'a' sounds are like the 'a' in 'father'. The 'k' is a bit softer than in English, and the 'n' is similar to the English 'n'.
Common phrases with 'kana'
You'll often hear 'kanafilee' (chicken fillet) or 'kanasupp' (chicken soup). These are very common food items in Estonia.
