Your Estonian Sentences Are Islands. Here's How to Build the Bridges.

You’ve reached an impressive stage in your Estonian journey. You can conjugate verbs, you’ve battled the 14 cases (and mostly won), and you can construct grammatically correct sentences. You can describe what you did yesterday, order a kama at a cafe, and understand a news headline. Yet, when you try to write something longer - an email, a short story, or even just a detailed opinion - something feels… off. 🧱

Your sentences are like perfect, individually crafted LEGO bricks. Each one is solid and correct on its own. But when you put them together, the final structure feels wobbly, disjointed, and unnatural. It’s a list of facts, not a flowing narrative. Your writing doesn't have bridges; it has gaps.

This is a classic B2-level challenge. You’ve mastered the art of the sentence, but now you need to become an architect of paragraphs. The good news is that this skill isn't magic. It's a set of techniques, a kind of linguistic glue, that native speakers use instinctively.

In this guide, we'll break down the three essential types of 'bridges' you can build to connect your sentence-islands and transform your writing from a series of statements into a cohesive, compelling story.

Bridge 1: Master Your Connective Tissue (Sideainete Valdamine)

Every language has its basic connectors. In Estonian, you quickly learn ja (and), aga (but), and sest (because). These are the essential, load-bearing pillars of your sentences. However, relying only on these three is like trying to build a mansion with only one type of screw. Your writing becomes repetitive and simplistic.

To achieve B2+ fluency, you need to expand your toolkit of transition words and phrases. These words signal the relationship between ideas, guiding your reader smoothly from one thought to the next.

Let’s organize them by function:

To Add Information (Info Lisamiseks)

Instead of just using ja repeatedly, try these:

• Lisaks (In addition, additionally): Use this to add a new, significant point.
  • Before: "Mulle meeldib Tallinn. Seal on ilus vanalinn ja seal on palju häid restorane."
  • After: "Mulle meeldib Tallinn, sest seal on ilus vanalinn. Lisaks on seal palju häid restorane."
• Pealegi (Besides, moreover): Use this to add a strengthening argument.
  • Before: "Ma ei taha täna välja minna. Ma olen väsinud ja väljas sajab vihma."
  • After: "Ma ei taha täna välja minna, sest ma olen väsinud. Pealegi sajab väljas vihma."
• Samuti (Likewise, also): Used to show similarity or add a related point.
  • Before: "Jaan armastab suusatada. Talle meeldib uisutada."
  • After: "Jaan armastab suusatada. Samuti meeldib talle uisutada."

To Show Contrast (Vastanduse Näitamiseks)

Aga is great, but these add more nuance:

• Sellegipoolest (Nevertheless, despite that): Shows a surprising contrast.
  • Before: "Päev oli pikk ja väsitav, aga ma läksin veel jooksma."
  • After: "Päev oli pikk ja väsitav. Sellegipoolest läksin ma veel jooksma."
• Teisest küljest (On the other hand): Perfect for presenting two sides of an argument.
  • Before: "Elu maal on rahulik, aga seal on vähe töövõimalusi."
  • After: "Elu maal on rahulik. Teisest küljest on seal vähe töövõimalusi."
• Vastupidi (On the contrary): Used to directly contradict a previous statement.
  • Before: "Sa arvad, et see oli lihtne? See oli väga raske."
  • After: "Sa arvad, et see oli lihtne? Vastupidi, see oli väga raske."

To Show Consequence or Result (Tagajärje Näitamiseks)

Move beyond sest to show cause and effect more elegantly.

• Seega (Therefore, thus): A formal and clear way to state a result.
  • Before: "Ma ei õppinud eksamiks, nii et ma kukkusin läbi."
  • After: "Ma ei õppinud eksamiks. Seega kukkusin ma läbi."
• Järelikult (Consequently): Implies a logical conclusion.
  • Before: "Kõik tuled on kustus. Keegi ei ole kodus."
  • After: "Kõik tuled on kustus. Järelikult ei ole keegi kodus."
• Selle tulemusena (As a result of this): Connects a specific action to its outcome.
  • Before: "Ettevõte investeeris uude tehnoloogiasse ja tootlikkus kasvas."
  • After: "Ettevõte investeeris uude tehnoloogiasse. Selle tulemusena kasvas tootlikkus."

Bridge 2: The Power of Pronouns and Referencing (Asesõnade ja Viitamise Jõud)

Another tell-tale sign of non-native writing is the constant repetition of nouns. It's like the writer is afraid the reader will forget who or what they are talking about from one sentence to the next.

Clunky: "Ma nägin poes meest. Mees ostis leiba. Mees oli pikk." Smooth: "Ma nägin poes meest. Ta ostis leiba. Ta oli pikk."

This seems simple, but mastering referencing goes beyond just using ta (he/she) and see (it/this). Smooth writing involves a web of references that connect back to people, objects, and even entire ideas mentioned earlier.

Using Demonstratives (see, too, need, nood)

These are crucial for pointing back to something you just mentioned.

• See/Need (this/these): Refers to something close in context or just mentioned.
  • Example: "Ta rääkis mulle oma plaanist kolida Hispaaniasse. See idee tundus mulle väga põnev." (He told me about his plan to move to Spain. This idea seemed very exciting to me.)

Using Summary Nouns

This is a more advanced technique that instantly makes your writing sound more sophisticated. Instead of using a simple pronoun like see, you use a noun that summarizes the previous sentence or clause.

• Instead of: "Valitsus otsustas makse tõsta. See tekitas palju pahameelt."
• Try this: "Valitsus otsustas makse tõsta. See otsus tekitas palju pahameelt." (The government decided to raise taxes. This decision caused a lot of discontent.)

Other examples of summary nouns include: see probleem (this problem), see protsess (this process), see areng (this development), need põhjused (these reasons).

This technique creates a strong, explicit link between your sentences, making your logic crystal clear to the reader.

Bridge 3: Vary Your Sentence Structure (Lausestruktuuri Varieerimine)

Are most of your sentences following a rigid Subject-Verb-Object pattern?

• Ma läksin poodi. (I went to the store.)
• Ma ostsin piima. (I bought milk.)
• Ma tulin koju. (I came home.)

While grammatically perfect, this structure is monotonous. It's the rhythm of a children's book. To create more engaging and dynamic prose, you need to break this pattern.

Start with Something Else

The easiest way to vary your structure is to move parts of the sentence to the beginning.

• Start with a time phrase:
  • Instead of: "Ma kohtusin oma sõbraga eile õhtul."
  • Try: "Eile õhtul kohtusin ma oma sõbraga." (Yesterday evening, I met my friend.)
• Start with a place phrase:
  • Instead of: "Ma leidsin oma võtmed laua alt."
  • Try: "Laua alt leidsin ma oma võtmed." (From under the table, I found my keys.)

Use Subordinate Clauses

Combine simple sentences into more complex ones using conjunctions like kuna (since/as), kuigi (although), et (that), kui (when/if).

• Choppy: "Ilm oli halb. Me läksime matkama."
• Smooth: "Kuigi ilm oli halb, läksime matkama." (Although the weather was bad, we went hiking.)

Embrace Participles (the -des form)

This is a hallmark of good Estonian writing and a powerful tool for B2 learners. The -des form (gerund) allows you to describe an action that is happening at the same time as the main verb.

• Choppy: "Ma kuulasin muusikat. Ma tegin samal ajal süüa."
• Fluid: "Muusikat kuulates tegin ma süüa." (Listening to music, I cooked.)
• Choppy: "Ma lugesin raamatut. Ma jäin magama."
• Fluid: "Raamatut lugedes jäin ma magama." (Reading a book, I fell asleep.)

Mastering these three types of bridges - connectors, referencing, and varied structure - is the key to moving beyond disjointed sentences and into the realm of fluid, coherent writing.

The Practice Problem: How Do You Build the Instinct?

So now you have the theory. You know you should use sellegipoolest and start sentences with kuigi. But knowing the rule and using it naturally under pressure are two different things. How do you practice this effectively?

Reading is great for input, but it's passive. Writing on your own is good practice, but you're often writing into a void. How do you know if your attempts at sophisticated structure are working or just creating more complex mistakes? You need a feedback loop. You need to practice producing language and get immediate, actionable corrections. 💡

This is where the right tools can accelerate your progress exponentially. You need a system that forces you to move from passive recognition to active production.

Supercharge Your Progress with a Feedback-Driven Cycle

Imagine a workout designed specifically to build these writing bridges. That’s what a platform like Toritark is built for. It’s not just about learning words; it’s about learning how to use them together.

Here’s how it creates the perfect practice environment:

1. The Task: Story Retelling First, the app's AI generates a short, engaging story in Estonian, tailored to your B2 level. You read it and understand it. Then comes the crucial step: you are prompted to retell the story in your own words. This is the ultimate test. You can't just recall facts; you have to actively reconstruct the narrative. This forces you to:

• Use connectors to link events (First this happened, seejärel that happened, sellegipoolest she wasn't happy).
• Use referencing to avoid repeating character names (Jaan did this, then ta felt that).
• Vary your sentence structure to make your retelling engaging, not just a list of events.

2. The Magic: Instant, Granular AI Feedback This is where everything clicks into place. After you submit your retelling, you don't have to wonder if it was any good. Toritark's AI provides an incredible analysis that acts like a personal tutor.

It goes far beyond a simple 'correct' or 'incorrect'. You get:

• A detailed breakdown of your writing across Completeness, Grammar, Vocabulary, Spelling, and Punctuation.
• A side-by-side comparison of your text and a corrected, more natural version. It might highlight that you used aga three times in a row and suggest replacing one with kuid or ent for variety. It will show you where starting a sentence with a time phrase would improve the flow.
• Actionable Explanations in English. This is the most important part. It won't just show you the correction; it will explain why it's better. For example: "The word 'mees' (man) is repeated here. Using the pronoun 'ta' makes the sentence flow more naturally." or "Connecting these two sentences with 'Seega' (Therefore) clarifies the cause-and-effect relationship."

This is not just error correction; it's skill building. Each piece of feedback reinforces the principles of good writing, helping you internalize the flow and rhythm of native Estonian.

The entire process is a complete learning loop. You read engaging content, save the vocabulary you need, actively produce your own text, and get instant, detailed feedback to improve for next time. It’s the fastest way to build those bridges between your sentence-islands.

Your Next Chapter: From Correct to Compelling

You've already done the hard work of learning the rules of Estonian. Now it's time for the fun part: learning to play with them. By expanding your use of connectors, mastering referencing, and varying your sentence structures, you can elevate your writing from merely correct to truly compelling.

Stop leaving gaps between your ideas. Start building bridges.

Ready to turn theory into practice and get the feedback you need to transform your writing? Give the story retelling cycle a try on Toritark and see how quickly your sentences start connecting into a fluent, cohesive whole.