Estonian/Nouns
Käänded
In Estonian, each noun and adjective declines into different forms to fit a particular case. Each case has a particular meaning. When combined, the suffixes for the last four cases form the word "ninataga" (behind the nose). Here is a full list of the 14 cases used in Estonian with examples in singular:
| # | Name (eng) | Name (est) | Example noun (singular) | Question (inanimate) |
Example adjective (singular) | Question | Positional | Non-Positional | Derived from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Nominative | Nimetav (naming) | see (this) | mis? | selline (like this) | missugune? milline? |
- | subject | - |
| II | Genitive | Omastav (owning) | selle | mille? | sellise | missuguse? millise? |
- | having-determiner whole |
- |
| III | Partitive | Osastav (partitive) | seda | mida? | sellist | missugust? millist? |
- | direct object partitive |
- |
| IV | Illative | Sisseütlev (into-saying) | sellesse | millesse? | sellisesse | missugusesse? millisesse? |
into | - | II |
| V | Inessive | Seesütlev (in-saying) | selles | milles? | sellises | missuguses? millises? |
in | - | II |
| VI | Elative | Seestütlev (out-of-saying) | sellest | millest? | sellisest | missugusest? millisest? |
out of | - | II |
| VII | Allative | Alaleütlev (onto-field-saying) | sellele | millele? | sellisele | missugusele? millisele? |
onto | dative/giving | II |
| VIII | Adessive | Alalütlev (on-field-saying) | sellel | millel? | sellisel | missugusel? millisel? |
on | having | II |
| IX | Ablative | Alaltütlev (off-of-field-saying) | sellelt | millelt? | selliselt | missuguselt? milliselt? |
off of | taking | II |
| X | Translative | Saav (becoming) | selleks | milleks? | selliseks | milliseks? missuguseks? |
- | - | II |
| XI | Terminative | Rajav (establishing) | selleni | milleni? | selliseni | missuguseni? milliseni? |
up to/until | - | II |
| XII | Essive | Olev (being) | sellena | millena? | sellisena | missugusena? millisena? |
as | - | II |
| XIII | Abessive | Ilmaütlev (without-saying) | selleta | milleta? | selliseta | missuguseta? milliseta? |
without | - | II |
| XIV | Comitative | Kaasaütlev (with-saying) | sellega | millega? | sellisega | missugusega? millisega? |
with | - | II |
Some examples:
| English | Nominative | Genitive | Partitive |
|---|---|---|---|
| this | see | selle | seda |
| home | kodu | kodu | kodu |
| house | maja | maja | maja |
| curtain | kardin | kardina | kardinat |
| machine | masin | masina | masinat |
| book | raamat | raamatu | raamatut |
| dog | koer | koera | .koera |
| cat | kass | kassi | .kassi |
| I/me | mina | minu | .mind |
| you (singular) | sina | sinu | .sind |
| him/her | tema | tema | teda |
The last two provide an example of the Estonian Long and Overlong "quantities" or "stress". The syllables that are Overlong are marked with a dot. In Estonian, the stress in a word is usually on the first syllable. The stress on Overlong words is required (but not always incomprehensible to the listener), and the overlong syllable can be stretched 'forever' while Long syllables cannot.
.kassi can be stretched easily from the ss without becoming incomprehensible. .koera can be stretched from the e, or the oe diphtong, although the latter might be more difficult for the listener (and the speaker). Not all partitive cases infer the Overlong quantity, and this makes Estonian cases for each word more difficult to remember. The last 3 words in the table are the singular pronouns - two of these are Overlong but have only one syllable.
Examples
editNimetav
- See sinine auto on minu (oma)
- This blue car is mine
- See uus kell oli kallis
- This new clock was expensive
Omastav
- Selle sinise auto aken on katki
- The window of this blue car is broken
- Uue kella patareid on tühjad
- The batteries of the new clock are empty
Osastav
- Ma tahan seda sinist autot
- I want that blue car
- Ma vajan uut kella
- I need a new clock
Sisseütlev
- Nad murdsid sinisesse autosse sisse
- They broke into the blue car
- Uude kella on vaja patareisid
- New batteries are needed into the new clock
Seesütlev
- Sinises autos on valge koer
- There is a white dog in a blue car
- Uues kellas on nüüd patareid
- There are now batteries in the new clock
Seestütlev
- Kaks meest väljusid sinisest autost
- Two men came out from the blue car
- Uuest kellast tulevad veidrad helid
- Weird noises are coming from the new clock
Alaleütlev
- Pane see kleebis sinisele autole
- Put that sticker onto the blue car
- Ära joonista midagi uuele kellale
- Don't draw anything onto the new clock
Alalütlev
- Sinisel autol on värviline kleebis
- There is a colorful sticker on the blue car
- Uuel kellal on juba tolm
- On the new clock already has dust
Alaltütlev
- Eemalda see kleebis siniselt autolt
- Remove this sticker from the blue car
- Pühi tolm uuelt kellalt
- Wipe the dust from the new clock
Saav
- Kas sa saad selle autoks muuta?
- Can you turn this into a car?
Rajav
- Ma saadan sind su autoni
- I will accompany you to your car
Olev
- Sa võid kasutada seda autona
- You can use it as a car
Ilmaütlev
- Nüüdsest olen autota
- From now on I am without a car
Kaasaütlev
- Mida sa teed minu autoga?
- What are you doing with my car?