Olevik (Present Simple)
The Olevik (Present) tense in Estonian is used to describe actions that are happening now or habitual actions that occur regularly. It is one of the most commonly used tenses in Estonian.
Mood:
The Olevik tense is used in the indicative mood, which expresses facts and certainty. The indicative mood is used to talk about real, factual events, whether they are happening at the moment or are habitual actions.
- Mood: Indicative (expresses real, factual actions happening now or regularly)
Active Voice Conjugation (verb: töötama – to work):
| Person | Singular (Positive) | Singular (Negative) | Plural (Positive) | Plural (Negative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Person | töötan | ei tööta | töötame | ei tööta |
| Second Person | töötad | ei tööta | töötate | ei tööta |
| Third Person | töötab | ei tööta | töötavad | ei tööta |
Passive Voice Conjugation (verb: töötama – to work):
| Person | Passive (Positive) | Passive (Negative) |
|---|---|---|
| / | töötatakse | ei töötata |
Common Time Expressions:
- praegu – now
- iga päev – every day
- tihti – often
- alati – always
- harva – rarely
- tavaliselt – usually
These expressions help indicate whether the action is happening right now or is a regular habit.
Examples:
- Active Positive: Ma töötan kontoris. (I work in an office.)
- Active Negative: Ma ei tööta kodus. (I don’t work at home.)
- Passive Positive: Kontoris töötatakse palju. (Work is done a lot in the office.)
- Passive Negative: Kontoris ei töötata nädalavahetustel. (No work is done in the office on weekends.)
