Food & Drinks

1. Üks kohv, palun

   One coffee, please

   Usage

   Basic café order; Estonia has many European-style coffee shops

   Grammar Note

   Kohv is nominative. Estonian numeral + noun combination expresses quantity

2. Kas ma saaksin menüü?

   Could I have the menu?

   Usage

   Ask for the menu when seated at a restaurant

   Grammar Note

   Saaksin is conditional of saama (to get/receive) — polite request form

3. Olen taimetoitlane

   I am a vegetarian

   Usage

   Inform about dietary restrictions; understood in Estonian restaurants

   Grammar Note

   Taimetoitlane = taim (plant) + toit (food) + -lane (person suffix)

4. See oli väga maitsev

   This was very delicious

   Usage

   Compliment the food after a meal

   Grammar Note

   Maitsev derives from maitsema (to taste). Past tense oli for finished meal

5. Arve, palun

   The bill, please

   Usage

   Request the bill at a restaurant

   Grammar Note

   Arve is nominative. Card payment is standard in Estonia

6. Kus on lähim restoran?

   Where is the nearest restaurant?

   Usage

   Find somewhere to eat

   Grammar Note

   Kus is the question word "where". Lähim is the superlative of lähedal (near)

7. Kas on gluteenivaba valik?

   Is there a gluten-free option?

   Usage

   Check for gluten-free options, important for dietary restrictions

   Grammar Note

   Gluteenivaba = gluteen (gluten) + vaba (free). Estonian compounds are transparent

8. Mida soovitate?

   What do you recommend?

   Usage

   Ask the waiter for recommendations

   Grammar Note

   Soovitate is the formal plural of soovitama (to recommend). Mida is partitive "what"

9. Kas saab maksta kaardiga?

   Can I pay by card?

   Usage

   Check payment method; Estonia is one of the world's most digital countries

   Grammar Note

   Kaardiga uses comitative case (-ga) meaning "with/using a card"

10. Proovime kohalikku toitu

    Let's try the local food

    Usage

    Try Estonian cuisine like pork, rye bread, and black pudding

    Grammar Note

    Proovime is 1st person plural "let's try". Partitive kohalikku toitu = food in general

11. riis

    Rice

    Usage

    The form used on menus; cooked rice specifically is "keedetud riis"

12. leib

    Rye bread

    Usage

    In Estonian "leib" always means dark rye bread; white bread is the separate word "sai"

13. sai

    White bread

    Usage

    Wheat bread; asking for "bread" (leib) will get you dark rye instead

14. nuudlid

    NUUD-lid

    Noodles

    Usage

    Asian-style noodles; Italian pasta is "pasta"

15. vürtsikas

    VÜRT-si-kas

    Spicy

    Usage

    Chilli heat; "terav" is also used. Salty is a different word, "soolane"

16. magus

    MA-gus

    Sweet

    Usage

    Show to check or request sweetness

17. toores

    TOO-res

    Raw (uncooked)

    Usage

    Uncooked; use it when you want food cooked through

18. tofu

    TO-fu

    Tofu

    Usage

    Show when looking for vegetarian dishes

19. supp

    Soup

    Usage

    Also appears as a menu section heading

20. puuvili

    PUU-vi-li

    Fruit

    Usage

    Literally "tree fruit"; berries are counted separately as "mari"

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