Translation

Pronouns

Personal pronouns carry particular significance for trans people, as they are one of the main ways gender identity is expressed in many languages. Respecting and using a trans person’s chosen pronouns is an important way of helping them feel visible, understood, and respected in both society and everyday communication.

Although Estonian does not have gendered pronouns or grammatical gender, and gender is instead expressed through gender-specific words and suffixes, the question may arise of how to represent personal pronouns referring to a trans person in translated articles where the original language uses gendered pronouns.

In English-language media, stories often focus on someone’s change of personal pronouns—particularly when this involves a public figure who has begun their gender transition and is speaking about it openly. Because Estonian uses the same pronouns (“ta/tema”) for everyone regardless of gender, such topics cannot be directly translated into Estonian in a one-to-one way.

Pronoun translation should be guided by context. If a person’s change of personal pronouns is an important part of the news and provides new information, the pronouns in the source language should be shown in italics, without referencing their former ones.

Example:

Since singular reference applies to one person, it is recommended to avoid translating the English pronouns they/them into the plural Estonian form nad/nemad.

If the pronouns are not new information and the original article does not explicitly highlight them, there is no need to mention them separately; throughout the text, the standard Estonian pronouns ta/tema can be used.

Referring to a person

If you are unsure how to translate a particular term, you can consult our glossary.

When translating vocabulary related to gender identity, first make sure that the wording of the original article is current and reflects how the person being written about describes themself.

For example, if they have publicly stated on social media, their website, or in a press release which name and pronouns they wish to be referred to by, use those.

If a person’s name or pronouns differ from the information assigned to them at birth, do not mention their previous ones in the article—even when referring to them in the past. If you’re concerned that readers may not recognize who is being discussed, refer instead to the person’s earlier accomplishments.