Talk about the weather in Estonian
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Sign up for freeWhat's the weather like? Is it sunny or raining? Let's take a look on how to describe the meteorological conditions in Estonian.
Lesson outline
HideBasic weather vocabulary
Firstly, let's learn the basic nouns and adjectives related to weather.
| English | Estonian (noun) | Estonian (adjective) |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | Ilm | - |
| Weather forecast | Ilmaennustus / prognoos | - |
| Weather report | Ilmateade | - |
| Sky | Taevas | - |
| Moon | Kuu | - |
| Stars | Tähed | - |
| Sun, sunny | Päike | Päikeseline |
| Rain, rainy | Vihm | Vihmane |
| Cloud, cloudy | Pilv | Pilvine |
| Wind, windy | Tuul | Tuuline |
| Fog, foggy | Udu | Udune |
| Snow, snowy | Lumi | Lumine |
| Ice, icy | Jää | Jäine |
| Storm, stormy | Torm | Tormine |
| Thunder, thundery | Äike | Äikeseline |
| Lightning | Välk | - |
| Rainbow | Vikerkaar | - |
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Adjectives to describe weather
| English | Estonian |
|---|---|
| Cold | Külm |
| Freezing | Jäine |
| Warm | Soe |
| Hot | Kuum / Palav |
| Humid | Niiske |
| Nice | Ilus |
| Bad | Halb |
It is possible to add 'Väga' (Very) or 'Liiga' (Too) in front of the adjective.
- Liiga kuum on - It is too hot.
- Ilm on väga külm - The weather is very cold.
Verbs and phrases to describe the weather
| English | Estonian |
|---|---|
| To be | Olema |
| The weather is ... | Ilm on ... |
| To shine | Paistma |
| The sun is shining. | Päike paistab. |
| To fall / pour | Sadama |
| It is raining. | Vihma sajab. |
| It is snowing. | Lund sajab. |
| Is it snowing? | Kas lund sajab? |
| I am cold. | Mul on külm. (Literally: I have cold) |
| How is the weather today? | Mis ilm täna on? |
| How is the weather going to be tomorrow? | Mis ilma homseks lubab? |
| How many degrees is outside? | Mitu kraadi väljas on? |
| It's 20 degrees outside. | Väljas on 20 kraadi. |
Like in English there are usually two options to describe the weather:
- Ilm on päikeseline. --- The weather is sunny.
Päike paistab. --- The sun is shining.
- Ilm on vihmane. --- The weather is rainy.
Vihma sajab. --- It is raining.
Example dialogue
Marta: Mis ilm täna on? --- How is the weather today?
Kristo: Ilm on päikeseline, aga tuuline. --- The weather is sunny but windy.
Marta: Mitu kraadi väljas on? --- How many degrees is outside?
Kristo: 29 kraadi. Mul on väga palav. --- It's 29 degrees. I am very hot.
Marta: Mis ilma homseks lubab? --- How is the weather going to be tomorrow?
Kristo: Homme on ilm vihmane ja külm. Ilmselt on oodata ka äikest. --- Tomorrow is going to be rainy and cold. Probably we can even expect thunder.
Marta: Vähemalt ei saja lund! --- At least it won't be snowing!
Train your weather vocabulary with the exercises!