# Estonian/Negative and Conjunctions

Eitav kõneliik
This lesson will be on the Estonian negative and some conjunctions.

## Forming the Negative

Olevik
The negative is formed with the word "no" which is "ei", and by taking a conjugated form of a verb without the personal suffix:
* to be: olema -> ma olen -> ei ole
* to know: teadma -> ma tean -> ei tea
* to want: tahtma -> ma tahan -> ei taha
One very convenient aspect about the negative is that it's the same for all persons and quantities of pronouns:
| -ma kesksõna | mina | sina | tema | meie | teie | nemad |
| olema | ei ole | ei ole | ei ole | ei ole | ei ole | ei ole |
| teadma | ei tea | ei tea | ei tea | ei tea | ei tea | ei tea |
| tahtma | ei taha | ei taha | ei taha | ei taha | ei taha | ei taha |
The word "ei" in verb negation is considered to be an auxiliary verb, and roughly translates to "do not" or "don't".
Minelik
| -ma kesksõna | mina | sina | tema | meie | teie | nemad |
| olema | ei olnud | ei olnud | ei olnud | ei olnud | ei olnud | ei olnud |
| teadma | ei teadnud | ei teadnud | ei teadnud | ei teadnud | ei teadnud | ei teadnud |
| tahtma | ei tahtnud | ei tahtnud | ei tahtnud | ei tahtnud | ei tahtnud | ei tahtnud |
Tulevik
Estonian has no auxiliary verb for the Future like "I will", so the negative future is composed of "ei" simply followed by the simple negative form of the verb (not) to be performed in the future.
| -ma kesksõna | mina | sina | tema | meie | teie | nemad |
| olema | ei ole varsti | ei ole varsti | ei ole varsti | ei ole varsti | ei ole varsti | ei ole varsti |
| teadma | ei tea varsti | ei tea varsti | ei tea varsti | ei tea varsti | ei tea varsti | ei tea varsti |
| tahtma | ei taha varsti | ei taha varsti | ei taha varsti | ei taha varsti | ei taha varsti | ei taha varsti |

## Some Conjunctions

Conjunctions are called "sidesõnad" (tying words)
| Not preceded by comma in simple sentences | Not preceded by comma in simple sentences | Not preceded by comma in simple sentences | Preceded by comma in simple sentences | Preceded by comma in simple sentences | Preceded by comma in simple sentences |
| Estonian | English | Note | Estonian | English | Note |
| ja | and | | et | that so that | If followed by a Conditional clause, describes reason and effect. Comma may come before the preceding word, like in "nii et" |
| ning | and | Often used when "ja" has been exhausted | aga | but | |
| ega | nor | Can also begin questions in the form of "Isn't it... ?" | kuid | but | |
| või | or | | sest | because | |
| ehk | also known as, otherwise known as | | kui | if when | |
| | | | siis | then | |
| | | | vaid | but/only | |

## Vocabulary

* sai - saia - .saia - white bread
* leib - leiva - .leiba - black bread
* piim - piima - .piima - milk
* mahl - mahla - .mahla - juice
* söök - söögi - sööki - food
* jah - Yes
* ei - No
* võib-olla - maybe
* eesti keel - Estonian language

### Verbs

* saama (to get) - also means to be able to or allowed to
| English | -ma kesksõna | mina | sina | tema | meie | teie | nemad | Negative eitav |
| to be allowed to | tohtima* | tohin | tohid | tohib | tohime | tohite | tohivad | ei tohi |
| to be able to | suutma* | suudan | suudad | suudab | suudame | suudate | suudavad | ei suuda |
| to have the strength to | jaksama* | jaksan | jaksad | jaksab | jaksame | jaksate | jaksavad | ei jaksa |
| to be capable to to know how to | oskama* | oskan | oskad | oskab | oskame | oskate | oskavad | ei oska |
| to need to | pidama | pean | pead | peab | peame | peate | peavad | ei pea |
| to do to make | tegema | teen | teed | teeb | teeme | teete | teevad | ei tee |
| to eat | sööma | söön | sööd | sööb | sööme | sööte | söövad | ei söö |
| to drink | jooma | joon | jood | joob | joome | joote | joovad | ei joo |
| to know someone to feel | tundma | tunnen | tunned | tunneb | tunneme | tunnete | tunnevad | ei tunne |
* * - When specifying an action, these verbs refer to a -da Infinitive, which we haven't learned yet. Notice that pidama takes the -ma Infinitive.

## Conjunctions and the Negative

Some sentences sound unnatural when using certain combinations of Conjunctions and the Negative without some adjustments similar to those in English:
* Ma ei tea, et sa jood vett - incorrect "I don't know that you drink water" "jood" is an ongoing or passive action. This is also unnatural in English, but acceptable in some informal cases.
* Ma ei teadnud, et sa jood vett - "I didn't know you drink water". This uses the simple past, which we haven't learned yet.

## Kas

"Kas" is a question determiner, which roughly translates to "whether" and "is it that...". In questions it can be replaced by a simple reversal which is common for asking questions in languages of European descent: "Kas sa tahad?" -> "Tahad sa?"

## Phrases

* Ma ei joo
* Translation
* I don't drink
* Ta oskab seda
* Translation
* He knows how to do this
* Ma ei oska eesti keelt
* Translation
* I can't speak Estonian
* Ma tean, et sa oled siin
* Translation
* I know that you are here
* Kas sa tahad mahla või vett?
* Translation
* Do you want juice or water?
* Ma tean, et sa ei tunne mind
* Translation
* I know that you don't know me
* Ma pean oskama seda
* Translation
* I must know how to do this