head aega
In Estonian, goodbye is expressed as head aega. Wiktionary also lists nägemist and nägemiseni.
Meaning: farewell (intj)
Ways to say it
| Estonian |
|---|
| head aega |
| nägemist |
| nägemiseni |
These phrases are used to bid farewell. While head aega is a general way to say goodbye, other forms can be used to express the intent or expectation of seeing someone again.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase head aega literally means good time. The word nägemist is the partitive case of nägemine, which means seeing or the act of seeing.
Which one should you use?
Head aega is a general way to say goodbye. In contrast, nägemiseni specifically implies that you will see the person again and it is used when there is an expectation or intent to meet the person again in the future.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Nägemist functions as a slightly more casual or shortened version of nägemiseni in spoken Estonian.
Did you know?
- Estonians may use the word aitäh meaning 'thank you' immediately before head aega even if no specific favor was done, as a way to signal the social interaction is ending.
- If you use nägemiseni with someone you never intend to meet again, it can be perceived as a social lie or a breach of etiquette.
- The word aeg in head aega is a cognate of the English word 'age', as both derive from an ancient root referring to a period of time.
Examples in context
- Head aega.Goodbye!This example shows the use of head aega for a standard farewell.Tatoeba #949616 by hubin, translation #516745 by minshirui
- Nägemiseni, ema.Goodbye, mother.This example demonstrates the use of nägemiseni when saying goodbye to a family member.Tatoeba #11281669 by twentyplus, translation #13480494 by epiphany
- Tänan teid küllakutse eest! Head aega, kuni me jälle kohtume!Thank you for the invitation! Goodbye until we meet again!
- Homme kohtumiseni! Nägemist!See you tomorrow! Bye!
- Kohtume pargis kell viis, eks? Tsau!Let's meet in the park at five, right? Bye!
- Suur tänu abi eest! Head aega, näeme hiljem!Thanks a lot for your help! Goodbye, see you later!
- Head aega, kohtumiseni uuesti!Goodbye, see you again!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kristjan and Kadi are leaving a cafe.
- KristjanKadi, oli rõõkil kohtuda!Kadi, it was nice to meet you!
- KadiSamaasu, Kristjan!Likewise, Kristjan!
- KristjanHead aega!Goodbye!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “goodbye” translations and entries head aega, nägemist, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
