How Formal Is It?
"Palun kuulake tähelepanelikult ettekannet. (Please listen carefully to the presentation.)"
"Ma kuulan raadiot. (I am listening to the radio.)"
"Kuula mind, eks! (Listen to me, okay!)"
"Kuulame linnulaulu. (Let's listen to the bird song.)"
"Kuula nüüd, mis ma sulle räägin. (Now listen to what I'm telling you.)"
Ejemplos por nivel
Ma kuulan raadiot igal hommikul.
I listen to the radio every morning.
The object 'raadiot' is in the partitive case because the action is ongoing.
Sa peaksid arsti nõu kuulama.
You should listen to the doctor's advice.
'Nõu' is in the partitive case here, as it's the object of 'kuulama'.
Nad kuulasid muusikat vaikselt toas.
They listened to music quietly in the room.
'Muusikat' is in the partitive case, indicating an ongoing action of listening.
Kas sa kuulsid, mida ma ütlesin?
Did you hear what I said?
'Kuulama' can also mean 'to hear' in past tense contexts like this.
Me kuulasime loengut suure huviga.
We listened to the lecture with great interest.
'Loengut' is in the partitive case, the object of 'kuulama'.
Palun kuula mind hoolikalt, see on oluline.
Please listen to me carefully, it is important.
Here, 'mind' (me) is in the partitive case, as it's the direct object of 'kuulama'.
Lapsed kuulasid jutte enne magamaminekut.
The children listened to stories before bedtime.
'Jutte' is the plural partitive form of 'jutt' (story), as they listened to multiple stories.
Ta ei taha minu arvamust kuulata.
He doesn't want to listen to my opinion.
'Arvamust' is in the partitive case, the object of 'kuulama'.
Familia de palabras
Sustantivos
Adjetivos
Cómo usarlo
When you want to say “to listen to something” in Estonian, you don’t need an extra preposition like you do in English. The verb kuulama already includes the idea of “to something.” For example, Ma kuulan muusikat means “I listen to music.”
A common mistake is to add a preposition after kuulama, like *Ma kuulan muusikasse. This is incorrect. Just use the partitive case for the thing you are listening to. If you are learning about cases, think of it as the 'what' in 'listen to what?'
Consejos
Basic use of kuulama
The most common way to use 'kuulama' is to simply say 'Ma kuulan' (I am listening). This is used in many situations, just like in English.
Kuulama and its object
When you listen to something specific, like music, you use the partitive case for the object. For example, 'Ma kuulan muusikat' (I listen to music).
Pronunciation practice for kuulama
Pay attention to the double 'u' in 'kuulama'. It's pronounced as a longer 'u' sound, similar to the 'oo' in 'moon'. Practice saying it aloud for better pronunciation.
Difference between kuulama and kuulma
While 'kuulama' means to actively listen, 'kuulma' means to hear (to perceive sound). This is a common point of confusion for beginners.
Common phrases with kuulama
You'll often hear 'Kuula mind!' (Listen to me!) or 'Ma kuulan raadiot' (I listen to the radio). These are good phrases to memorize.
Using kuulama in questions
To ask if someone is listening, you can say 'Kas sa kuulad?' (Are you listening?). Simple and direct.
Kuulama with a specific person
If you are listening to a person, you can also use the partitive: 'Ma kuulan õpetajat' (I listen to the teacher).
Contextual usage of kuulama
'Kuulama' implies a more active engagement than simply hearing. It means you are paying attention to what is being said or played.
Irregularities to watch out for
Fortunately, 'kuulama' is a fairly regular verb. Just focus on the case endings for the object. There are no major irregularities to worry about at this level.
Practice listening in Estonian
The best way to get used to 'kuulama' is to actually listen to Estonian. Try finding some simple Estonian podcasts or music.
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasThe most common way to say 'listen' in Estonian is kuulama.
Yes, absolutely! For example, 'Ma kuulan muusikat' means 'I am listening to music.'
It's primarily for hearing sounds. For 'paying attention,' you might use 'pöörama tähelepanu' (to pay attention) or 'kuuletuma' (to obey/heed), which is a related but different verb. Think of kuulama as 'to listen' in the sense of 'to perceive with the ear'.
Yes, like many Estonian verbs, it conjugates. For 'I listen,' it's 'Ma kuulan.' For 'You (singular) listen,' it's 'Sa kuulad.' For 'He/She listens,' it's 'Ta kuulab.' You'll learn these patterns as you go.
You would say 'Kuula mind!' The 'mind' is the partitive case of 'mina' (I), meaning 'me' as the object of listening. The verb here is in the imperative form.
This is a great question! Kuulama means 'to listen (actively).' Kuulema means 'to hear (passively).' So, 'Ma kuulan raadiot' is 'I am listening to the radio,' but 'Ma kuulen müra' is 'I hear noise.'
Yes, for example, 'Lapsed kuulavad lugu' means 'The children are listening to a story.' The object 'lugu' (story) is in the partitive case.
You use the negative particle 'ei' before the verb stem. So, 'Ma ei kuula' means 'I don't listen.'
While 'kuulama' is primarily 'to listen,' in some contexts, 'Kuula!' (Listen!) can imply 'Pay attention!' especially if someone is trying to get your focus. However, it's not its primary meaning for 'paying attention' in general.
At an A1 level, you'll mostly encounter kuulama in the present tense (e.g., 'Ma kuulan,' 'Sa kuulad') and the imperative (e.g., 'Kuula!'). You might also see it in infinitives, such as 'Tahan kuulata' (I want to listen).
Ponte a prueba 24 preguntas
Listen to the sentence. It means 'I listen to music.'
Listen to the question. It means 'Are you listening to me?'
Listen to the sentence. It means 'They listen to the radio.'
Read this aloud:
Kuula mind!
Focus: uu in kuula
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Ma kuulan sind.
Focus: a in ma, u in kuulan
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Me kuulame uudiseid.
Focus: e in me, uu in kuulame
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
In Estonian, the common word order is Subject-Verb-Object. 'Ma' is 'I', 'kuulan' is 'listen', and 'muusikat' is 'music'.
Here, 'Sa' means 'You (singular informal)', 'kuulad' is 'listen', and 'raadiot' means 'radio'. The verb form changes slightly depending on the subject.
'Nad' means 'They', 'kuulavad' is the 'they' form of 'to listen', and 'uudiseid' means 'news'.
Ma tahan ___ muusikat.
The infinitive form 'kuulata' is needed here, meaning 'to listen'.
Kas sa ___ raadiot iga päev?
The present tense second person singular form 'kuulad' is used for 'you listen'.
Nad ___ uudiseid enne tööle minekut.
The present tense third person plural form 'kuulavad' is used for 'they listen'.
Me ___ õpetajat klassis.
The present tense first person plural form 'kuulame' is used for 'we listen'.
Lapsed ___ muinasjutte enne magamaminekut.
The present tense third person plural form 'kuulavad' is used for 'children listen'.
Ta ei taha ___ sind praegu.
The infinitive form 'kuulata' is needed after 'taha' (want).
Ma alati ___ muusikat, kui ma trenni teen.
The verb 'kuulama' (to listen) conjugates to 'kuulan' for the first person singular ('Ma' - I).
Kas sa ___ uudiseid iga päev?
The verb 'kuulama' (to listen) conjugates to 'kuulad' for the second person singular ('sa' - you).
Lapsed ___ muinasjuttu enne magamaminekut.
The verb 'kuulama' (to listen) conjugates to 'kuulavad' for the third person plural ('Lapsed' - Children).
Me ___ ettevaatlikult õpetaja juhiseid.
The verb 'kuulama' (to listen) conjugates to 'kuulame' for the first person plural ('Me' - We).
Ta ___ hoolega, mida teised räägivad.
The verb 'kuulama' (to listen) conjugates to 'kuulab' for the third person singular ('Ta' - He/She/It).
Miks nad kunagi ei ___ minu nõuandeid?
The verb 'kuulama' (to listen) changes to 'kuula' in the negative imperative form (do not listen).
/ 24 correct
Perfect score!
Basic use of kuulama
The most common way to use 'kuulama' is to simply say 'Ma kuulan' (I am listening). This is used in many situations, just like in English.
Kuulama and its object
When you listen to something specific, like music, you use the partitive case for the object. For example, 'Ma kuulan muusikat' (I listen to music).
Pronunciation practice for kuulama
Pay attention to the double 'u' in 'kuulama'. It's pronounced as a longer 'u' sound, similar to the 'oo' in 'moon'. Practice saying it aloud for better pronunciation.
Difference between kuulama and kuulma
While 'kuulama' means to actively listen, 'kuulma' means to hear (to perceive sound). This is a common point of confusion for beginners.
