Learn Estonian by reading real Estonian
Estonian has fourteen cases and no future tense. Read it from ERR, the public broadcaster, and tap any word to see its basic form and what it means in this sentence, in your own language.
Koosolek venis pikale ja ma jäin rongist maha.
jäin verb, past, first person
I stayed (from jääma); with maha, I missed
Jääma means to stay. Rongist maha jääma, to stay down off the train, is how Estonian says to miss the train.
What to read in Estonian
Today, the daily edition, has headlines from Estonian outlets, including ERR uudised, ERR Novaator, ERR Kultuur, ERR Sport and Sirp. Open one and the article opens in the reader, where every word can be tapped.
The Store has no Estonian books yet. Books there are in English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese.
You can also bring your own Estonian: import a PDF, save a link to a web article, or paste text. Whatever you read, it stays in Estonian, and help appears only where you ask for it.
How a tap helps
The word turns bold and a note opens under its sentence with the meaning it has here, in your own language. Word analysis gives the root and the form. Select a few words or a sentence to translate just that part.
Every word you tap is saved with its sentence and comes back as a card, at longer and longer gaps, until you know it. Listen reads books, PDFs and your texts aloud in a natural Estonian voice, sentence by sentence.
Is it right for you?
ContextCat works best once you know enough Estonian to follow a simple text and want to read more of it. If you are starting from zero, begin with a course, and come back when short texts feel within reach. The guides have ideas on where to start.
Read next
Questions
Can I learn Estonian with ContextCat?
- ContextCat helps you learn Estonian by reading it. Tap any word in a Estonian text and it explains what the word means in that sentence, in your own language, then brings the word back later for review. It does not replace a course for grammar or speaking.
What is there to read in Estonian?
- Today's edition has headlines from Estonian outlets such as ERR uudised, ERR Novaator and ERR Kultuur. The Store has no Estonian books yet, so beyond Today you read your own: Estonian PDFs, web articles and pasted texts.
Is ContextCat free for Estonian?
- Yes, to start. The free plan includes 25 word explanations, 15 sentence translations a day and 3 imports, in every language. ContextCat Pro removes the limits.
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