When you're just starting out with Estonian, understanding basic adverbs is super helpful. 'Halvasti' is one of those words you'll use often.
It means 'badly', and it describes how something is done or how someone feels. Think of it as the opposite of 'hästi', which means 'well'.
For example, if you say 'Ma räägin eesti keelt halvasti,' you're admitting 'I speak Estonian badly.'
Don't worry, everyone starts somewhere, and using 'halvasti' correctly is a great step!
halvasti en 30 secondes
- Not good
- Poorly done
- In a bad way
Guide de prononciation
- Mispronouncing the 'a' as in 'cat' instead of 'ah' as in 'father'.
Exemples par niveau
Ta laulab halvasti.
He/she sings badly.
Ma tunnen ennast halvasti.
I feel bad.
See toit maitseb halvasti.
This food tastes bad.
Sa tegid seda halvasti.
You did it badly.
Kass magab halvasti.
The cat sleeps badly.
Ilm on halvasti.
The weather is bad.
Laps käitub halvasti.
The child behaves badly.
Ma räägin eesti keelt halvasti.
I speak Estonian badly.
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsThis is a great question that many learners ask! Halb is an adjective, meaning 'bad'. You use it to describe a noun, like 'halb ilm' (bad weather) or 'halb poiss' (bad boy). Halvasti, on the other hand, is an adverb. It means 'badly' and describes how an action is done. For example, 'Ma laulan halvasti' (I sing badly).
Yes, you absolutely can! If something has a bad odor, you could say 'See lõhnab halvasti' (It smells badly/It smells bad). The adverb 'halvasti' works well here because it describes the action of smelling.
While 'I feel bad' often implies sadness or illness in English, in Estonian, if you're talking about feeling unwell physically, you'd typically say 'Mul on halb olla' (I am bad to be / I feel ill). If you're using 'halvasti' to describe how you feel, it would usually be about a performance or how you've done something, like 'Ma tundsin end halvasti esinedes' (I felt badly while performing).
Yes, it is! A very common phrase is 'Halvasti käituma' which means 'to behave badly'. You might hear 'Ta käitus peol halvasti' (He behaved badly at the party).
The direct opposite of 'halvasti' (badly) is hästi, which means 'well'. So if you can sing badly (laulda halvasti), you can also sing well (laulda hästi).
Absolutely! 'Halvasti' can modify many verbs to show that the action is performed poorly. For instance:
- 'Ma magasin halvasti' (I slept badly)
- 'Ta õppis halvasti' (He studied badly)
- 'Nad ehitasid maja halvasti' (They built the house badly)
No, it doesn't! As an adverb, 'halvasti' doesn't change its form based on the subject (who is doing the action) or the object (what the action is done to). It stays the same, regardless of whether 'I', 'you', 'he', 'she', or 'they' are performing the action badly.
Halvasti is a very common and neutral word. It's neither formal nor informal. You can use it in almost any context without sounding out of place, whether you're talking to a friend or in a more professional setting.
To say 'It went badly' in Estonian, you would use 'halvasti' with a verb like 'minema' (to go). So, you'd say 'See läks halvasti'. 'Läks' is the past tense of 'minema'.
Yes, you can! If food tastes unpleasant, you can say 'See maitseb halvasti' (It tastes badly / It tastes bad). The adverb 'halvasti' correctly describes the quality of the taste.
Teste-toi 48 questions
This sentence means 'I feel bad.' The word order is subject (Ma), verb (tunnen), reflexive pronoun (ennast), and then the adverb (halvasti).
This sentence means 'He/She sings very badly.' The structure is subject (Ta), verb (laulab), intensifier (väga), and then the adverb (halvasti).
This sentence means 'The weather is bad today.' The structure is subject (Ilm), verb (on), time adverb (täna), and then the adverb (halvasti).
Write a short sentence describing something that went badly for you recently. Use 'halvasti'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Minu eksam läks halvasti.
Translate: 'He sings badly.'
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Ta laulab halvasti.
Fill in the blank with 'halvasti': See töö on tehtud väga ____.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
See töö on tehtud väga halvasti.
Miks oli sõitmine 'halvasti'?
Read this passage:
Eile sadas vihma ja mu auto libises. Õnneks ei juhtunud midagi hullu, aga ma sõitsin väga halvasti. Pean olema ettevaatlikum.
Miks oli sõitmine 'halvasti'?
Passage states 'Eile sadas vihma ja mu auto libises' which explains why the driving was 'halvasti'.
Passage states 'Eile sadas vihma ja mu auto libises' which explains why the driving was 'halvasti'.
Mida peab inimene tegema, et eesti keeles paremaks saada?
Read this passage:
Ma räägin eesti keelt veel halvasti. Ma pean harjutama rohkem, et paremaks saada. Iga päev õpin uusi sõnu.
Mida peab inimene tegema, et eesti keeles paremaks saada?
The passage says 'Ma pean harjutama rohkem, et paremaks saada.'
The passage says 'Ma pean harjutama rohkem, et paremaks saada.'
Kuidas klient tundis koka toidu pärast?
Read this passage:
Koka toit maitses täna halvasti. Klient oli pettunud ja ei tahtnud maksta. Kokk peab uuesti proovima.
Kuidas klient tundis koka toidu pärast?
The passage states 'Klient oli pettunud'.
The passage states 'Klient oli pettunud'.
The sentence structure in Estonian typically follows Subject-Verb-Adverb. 'Ta' (He/She) is the subject, 'tantsis' (danced) is the verb, and 'väga halvasti' (very badly) is the adverbial phrase.
This is a question asking 'Why do you feel so bad?'. 'Miks' (Why) starts the question, 'sa' (you) is the subject, 'end' (yourself) is the reflexive pronoun, 'nii halvasti' (so badly) is the adverbial phrase, and 'tunned' (feel) is the verb.
'Ma' (I) is the subject, 'magasin' (slept) is the verb, 'öösel' (at night) specifies the time, and 'halvasti' (badly) describes how.
Imagine you had a very unproductive day at work or school. Describe what went wrong and how you felt about it, using the word 'halvasti'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Minu päev tööl läks täna väga halvasti. Ma tundsin end ebakindlalt ja kõik asjad läksid viltu.
Write a short message to a friend explaining why you can't join them for an activity, mentioning that something went 'halvasti' with your plans or preparation.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Tere! Kahjuks ei saa ma täna teiega liituda, sest minu plaanid läksid halvasti ja ma pean midagi muud tegema.
You are giving feedback to someone about their performance in a task. Write a sentence or two using 'halvasti' to gently suggest an area for improvement.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
See osa tööst läks natuke halvasti. Ma arvan, et järgmine kord võiksid seda veel parandada.
Miks oli autosõit stressirohke?
Read this passage:
Eile õhtul sadas vihma ja tee oli väga libe. Auto sõitis halvasti ja ma pidin olema ettevaatlik, et õnnetust ei juhtuks. Lõpuks jõudsin koju turvaliselt, aga sõit oli stressirohke.
Miks oli autosõit stressirohke?
Lõigus mainitakse, et tee oli libe ja auto sõitis halvasti, mis tegi sõidu stressirohkeks.
Lõigus mainitakse, et tee oli libe ja auto sõitis halvasti, mis tegi sõidu stressirohkeks.
Mis juhtus Mari ja Peetri ettepanekuga?
Read this passage:
Mari ja Peeter tegid eile ettepaneku uue projekti kohta. Kahjuks aga esitlus läks halvasti ja nad ei saanud piisavalt toetust oma ideele. Nad peavad nüüd oma strateegiat muutma.
Mis juhtus Mari ja Peetri ettepanekuga?
Tekst ütleb, et esitlus läks halvasti ja nad ei saanud toetust oma ideele.
Tekst ütleb, et esitlus läks halvasti ja nad ei saanud toetust oma ideele.
Miks tundis Jaana end halvasti?
Read this passage:
Kuigi ilm oli ilus, tundis Jaana end täna halvasti. Tal oli kõht valus ja pea käis ringi. Ta pidi tööle minema, aga loodab, et saab varsti puhata.
Miks tundis Jaana end halvasti?
Lõigus kirjeldatakse, et Jaanal oli kõht valus ja pea käis ringi, mis pani ta end halvasti tundma.
Lõigus kirjeldatakse, et Jaanal oli kõht valus ja pea käis ringi, mis pani ta end halvasti tundma.
The sentence means 'He writes his name badly.' In Estonian, the adverb 'halvasti' (badly) typically comes after the verb it modifies ('kirjutab' - writes) and before the object ('oma nime' - his name).
The sentence translates to 'The weather turned very bad in the evening.' The adverb 'väga' (very) intensifies 'halvasti' (badly), and both come after the verb 'muutus' (turned) and before the time phrase 'õhtul' (in the evening).
This sentence means 'I slept badly last night.' The adverb 'halvasti' (badly) follows the verb 'magasin' (slept) and the time expression 'eile ööl' (last night).
Choose the sentence where 'halvasti' is used correctly to describe a negative outcome of an action:
'Halvasti öeldud sõnad' directly translates to 'badly spoken words', indicating a negative quality of the action of speaking.
Which option best completes the sentence to convey that someone performed poorly in a task? 'Kuigi ta proovis kõvasti, läks projekt siiski ___.'
'Halvasti' means 'badly', which fits the context of a project going poorly despite effort.
Select the sentence where 'halvasti' is used to express a sense of ill-being or discomfort:
'Tundis end halvasti' means 'felt badly' or 'felt unwell', indicating physical or emotional discomfort.
The sentence 'Tema ettepanekut võeti halvasti vastu' means that his proposal was poorly received.
'Võeti halvasti vastu' directly translates to 'was badly received', meaning it was not welcomed or approved.
In the sentence 'Lapsed käitusid etendusel halvasti', 'halvasti' implies that the children were feeling ill.
In this context, 'käitusid halvasti' means 'behaved badly', referring to their conduct, not their health.
The statement 'See plaan on halvasti läbi mõeldud' suggests that the plan was thoroughly considered.
'Halvasti läbi mõeldud' means 'badly thought through' or 'poorly considered', indicating a lack of thoroughness.
This sentence describes how the weather unexpectedly turned bad. 'Ilm' is weather, 'muutus' is changed, 'ootamatult' is unexpectedly, and 'halvasti' is badly.
This sentence means 'He/She felt very bad after the exam'. 'Ta' is he/she, 'tundis ennast' is felt (oneself), 'pärast eksamit' is after the exam, and 'väga halvasti' is very badly.
This sentence translates to 'Don't treat him/her so badly'. 'Ärge suhtuge' is don't treat, 'temasse' is him/her (illative case), and 'nii halvasti' is so badly.
Pay attention to how 'halvasti' is used in the context of a musician's performance.
Listen for 'halvasti' in a business context, related to economic results.
Focus on 'halvasti' describing the state of a road.
Read this aloud:
Tema kriitika oli halvasti ajastatud ja rikkus kogu koosoleku õhkkonna.
Focus: hal-vas-ti
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Laps tundis end halvasti pärast seda, kui ta oli liiga palju kommi söönud.
Focus: hal-vas-ti
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Kuigi ilm oli halvasti prognoositud, osutus päev tegelikult üsna päikeseliseks.
Focus: hal-vas-ti
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
/ 48 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
Halvasti means badly, describing an action done poorly.
- Not good
- Poorly done
- In a bad way
