Estonian language

The Estonian language (Estonian: eesti keel) is a Uralic language. It is mainly spoken in Estonia. The Estonian language is similar to Finnish and is one of the few national languages of Europe not to be an Indo-European language.

Estonian
eesti keel
Native toEstonia
EthnicityEstonians
Native speakers1.1 million  (2012)e18
Language family
Uralic
Writing systemLatin (Estonian alphabet)
Estonian Braille
Official status
Official language inFlag of Estonia (bordered).svg
 European Union
Regulated byInstitute of the Estonian Language / Eesti Keele Instituut, Emakeele Selts (semi-official)
Language codes
ISO 639-1et
ISO 639-2est
ISO 639-3estinclusive code
Individual codes:
ekk – Standard Estonian
vro – Võro
Linguasphere41-AAA-d
Idioma estonio.PNG
Distribution of estonian language

The Estonian alphabet uses the Latin alphabet. It has many vowels, including Ö, Ä, Õ and Ü.

It has been influenced by and adopted many words from German and Swedish. The Estonian language also has different dialects.

Sample words

Üks One
Kaks Two
Kolm Three
Jah Yes
Ei No
Mina/Ma I
Sina/Sa You (in singular)
Tema/Ta He/She
Meie/Me We
Teie/Te You (in plural)
Nemad/Nad They
Olen/Mina olen I am
Eesti Estonia
Maja House
Kodu Home
Tee Way


Estonian Language Media