Vocab: tühi

empty (adjective)

empty, blank

Building blocks

The Estonian word tühi (empty) is derived from the Proto-Finnic word tühjä, which is also the root of the Finnish word tyhjä (empty).

How to use it

Here are some ways you can describe something or someone with the word tühi:

1. To describe empty space:

   • Tühi tuba. (Empty room.)

2. To describe something that is lacking in content or meaning:

   • Tühi jutt. (Empty talk.)

3. To describe an emotional state:

   • Ta tunneb end tühjana. (He feels empty.)

4. To describe empty promises:

   • "Ta lubadused olid tühjad." (His/her promises were empty.)

5. To describe an empty stomach:

   • "Mu kõht on tühi" (My stomach is empty)

Examples

Ta vaatas mind tühja pilguga

Literally: “He/She looked at me empty look-with”

Idiomatically: “He/She looked at me blankly”

Ta - Pronoun - Nom Sg, "He/She"
vaatas - Verb - 2P Past Sg, "looked"
mind - Pronoun - Part Sg, "me"
tühja - Adjective - Gen Sg, "empty"
pilguga - Noun - Comitative Sg, "look-with"

Väikelinna tänavad on tühjad

Literally: “Small town streets are empty”

Idiomatically: “The streets of the small town are empty”

Väikelinna - Noun - Gen Sg, "Small town"
tänavad - Noun - Nom Pl, "streets"
on - Verb - 3P Present Pl, "are"
tühjad - Adjective - Nom Pl, "empty"