In a recent competition to determine the most beautiful languages in the world, Estonian secured second place with the phrase sõidan tasa üle silla, which translates as I’m quietly driving across the bridge. Because Estonian is a Finno-Ugric language, it has more in common with Finnish and Hungarian than it does with neighboring countries, including Estonia, Latvia, Russia, and Sweden. In this blog, we will be looking at cute Estonian words and phrases to flower up your vocab.
Something that makes the Estonian language particularly beautiful is its vowels. A native English speaker may recognize short and long vowels, but a native Estonian speaker will have grown up with not just short and long vowels but short, long, and ludicrously long vowel sounds.
Cutest Estonian Vowels
Some of the cutest sounding words in Estonian are those with ridiculously long vowel sounds. Töö-öö, or work night, is a great word that illustrates how lovely multiple vowels can make a word sound. Two more are kuu-uurija, moon explorer, and jää-äär, edge of the ice. If we put them all together, we come up with the remarkable Estonian phrase Kuuuurijad tööööl jäääärel which translates as the rather marvelous: ‘lunar researchers at work on the edge of the ice during the night.’
The Longest Cutest Estonian Words
Jõululaululaulja is often cited as one of the most beautiful words in the Estonian language and means Christmas caroler. Upping the vowel and consonant quota is the wonderful Estonian palindrome kuulilennuteetunneliluuk. The word’s definition in English is just as fabulous as the word itself: ‘hatch a bullet flies out of when exiting a tunnel.’ Last, but by no means least, is the humungous Sünnipäeva nädalalõpupeo pärastlõunaväsimus which is used to convey: ‘the tiredness one feels on the afternoon of the weekend birthday party.’
And no blog about the cutest Estonian words and phrases could ever be complete without mentioning the well-known Estonian tongue twister Kummikutes kummitus kummitas kummutis which translates as the rather nonsensical phrase: ‘A ghost with rainboots haunted the chest of drawers.’
Cute Estonian Romantic Phrases
Suppose you are lucky enough to fall in love while visiting Estonia. In that case, it might be useful to be able to express your feelings to the person who is the object of your affection with a scattering of cute Estonian words. Let’s look at a few phrases that are sure to make you cuter in the eyes of your beloved.
You’re Beautiful
We’ll start with a classic phrase and title of James Blunt’s unforgettable 2004 single from the album Back to Bedlam, You’re Beautiful. Being told you are beautiful is always a lovely thing to hear, and it is the same in Estonia. Sa oled ilus are three words you should use when wanting to pay the perfect compliment to that special person.
You’ve Got Beautiful Eyes, You’ve Got A Great Smile
If telling someone they are beautiful seems a bit forward, why not try a few other cute Estonian words and phrases that are slightly less full-on? Telling someone you’ve got beautiful eyes, Sul on ilusad silmad or you’ve got a great smile, Sul on väga ilus naeratus is the perfect way to gauge how they may feel about you without having to declare your undying love. And who doesn’t adore being told they have lovely eyes and a pretty smile?
You Look Great!
Another cute Estonian phrase for letting someone know that you appreciate the effort they have made without laying your heart out for all to see is to tell that someone that they look fantastic. Sa näed väga hea välja!, or you look great! It is also a fantastic way to greet a friend that makes them feel like a million dollars.
You Make Me Feel Very Happy
Sa teed mind väga õnnelikuks is a lovely Estonian phrase that can be pulled out on any occasion. Whether on a date to the cinema, having a meal in a restaurant or just taking a walk in the park, telling someone close to you that they make you feel happy is sure to make them feel happy too.
I Like You A Lot, You Fill My Heart With Joy
Expressing how you feel about another person in a language that you are not fluent in can be tricky. I like you a lot, Sa meeldid mulle väga or you fill my heart with joy, Sa täidad mu südame rõõmuga are two cute Estonian words and romantic phrases that everyone should have in their Estonian linguistic arsenal. We should all probably use the phrases a lot more in our native language as well.
You Are My Sun, My Moon, And All My Stars
If you feel the need to express your feelings in a rather more flamboyant way, you could pull to the phrase sa oled mu päike, tähed ja kuu, or you are my sun, my moon, and all my stars. As well as being cute Estonian words, a phrase that literally means you are my universe may also be used if you want to be a little more tongue-in-cheek about how you feel about that special someone.
I Dream Of You Day And Night
Also, not a phrase that is meant to be taken literally, Unistan sinust nii päeval kui ööl,or I dream of you day and night, are the perfect words to utter to someone you cannot stop thinking about.
I Am Madly In Love With You, I Can’t Live Without You
If you feel like getting really serious with the romantic phrases and cute Estonian words in your new language, then you might like to try Olen sinusse pööraselt armunud, or I am madly in love with you. Another phrase that shows total commitment is Ma ei suuda sinuta elada, or I can’t live without you.
Will You Marry Me?
And if things go really well on your trip to Estonia, you might want to get down on one knee and bring out arguably the most romantic phrase of them all, As sa abielluksid minuga?, or will you marry me? There are probably only two words that are more romantic and those are:
Ma hakkan, or I will.
Ling App
If you are keen to learn Estonian, there are plenty of quizzes and games as well as lessons to help you master the language on the Ling App. The Ling App is one of the most popular language-learning apps in the world. Follow the links to App Store and Google Play to download Ling today.
