Language/Standard-estonian/Grammar/Adjectives
Hi Standard Estonian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on adjectives in Standard Estonian. Adjectives are an essential part of the language, as they describe or modify nouns and pronouns. By the end of this lesson, you will have a better understanding of how to use adjectives, and you will be able to express yourself more accurately and fluently in Standard Estonian.
Consider broadening your understanding by checking out these related lessons: Standard Estonian Grammar → Introduction to Estonian → Alphabet ..., Introduction to Estonian grammar ..., Verbs and tenses & Personal Pronouns.
What are Adjectives?[edit | edit source]
Adjectives are used to describe, identify or quantify nouns or pronouns (objects, people, emotions, etc.). In Standard Estonian, adjectives are usually placed before the noun they modify. They are also inflected, which means their form changes depending on the grammatical case, number, and gender of the noun they modify.
For example:
| Standard Estonian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ilus tüdruk | [ilus ˈtʲydrʊk] | beautiful girl |
| vanem mees | [ˈvɑnem ˈmeːs] | older man |
| hea film | [ˈheɑ ˈfilm] | good movie |
In the examples above, the adjectives ilus (beautiful), vanem (older), and hea (good) modify the nouns tüdruk (girl), mees (man), and film (movie), respectively.
Adjective Endings[edit | edit source]
The endings of adjectives in Standard Estonian change depending on the grammatical case, number, and gender of the noun they modify. There are two types of adjectives: strong and weak.
Strong Adjectives[edit | edit source]
Strong adjectives do not have an ending in the nominative case but end in -d in the genitive singular masculine and -sed in the other cases of the singular and -d in all cases of the plural.
| Standard Estonian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| punane õun | [ˈpunɑne ˈɤun] | red apple |
| pikad juuksed | [ˈpikɑt ˈjuksed] | long hair |
| suured koerad | [ˈsuːred ˈkœrɑd] | big dogs |
In the examples above, the adjectives punane (red), pikad (long), and suured (big) do not have an ending in the nominative case but end in -d in the genitive singular masculine and -sed in the other cases of the singular and -d in all cases of the plural.
Weak Adjectives[edit | edit source]
Weak adjectives end in -e in all cases of the singular and nominative plural and -te in the other cases of the plural.
| Standard Estonian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| ilus tüdruk | [ilus ˈtʲydrʊk] | beautiful girl |
| vana maja | [ˈvɑnɑ ˈmajɑ] | old house |
| hea tunne | [ˈheɑ ˈtunːe] | good feeling |
In the examples above, the adjectives ilus (beautiful), vana (old), and hea (good) end in -e in all cases of the singular and nominative plural and -te in the other cases of the plural.
Comparison of Adjectives[edit | edit source]
In Standard Estonian, adjectives can be compared to express degrees of comparison: positive, comparative, and superlative. Here are some examples:
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| ilus (beautiful) | ilusam | kõige ilusam (most beautiful) |
| suur (big) | suurem | kõige suurem (biggest) |
| hea (good) | parem | kõige parem (best) |
To form the comparative and superlative, suffix -m is added:
- Comparative: -m, -ma, -maks (depending on the case)
- Superlative: kõige + comparative + -m (or -ma, -maks depending on the case)
There is also a group of adjectives in Standard Estonian called positive adjectives that do not form a comparative and superlative. These include nouns used as adjectives, and some adjectives that denote an absolute quality (for example, elus - "alive").
Dialogue[edit | edit source]
- Person 1: Kuidas sa hindad minu uut kleiti? (What do you think of my new dress?)
- Person 2: See on väga ilus kleit. (It's a very beautiful dress.)
- Person 1: Kas sa armastad suuri koeri? (Do you love big dogs?)
- Person 2: Jah, ma armastan suuri koeri. (Yes, I love big dogs.)
- Person 1: Mis on sinu lemmikfilm? (What is your favorite movie?)
- Person 2: Mul on mitu lemmikfilmi, kuid üks neist on "Klassikokkutulek." (I have several favorite movies, but one of them is "Class Reunion.")
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
Congratulations on completing this lesson on Standard Estonian Adjectives! Now that you have learned about adjective endings, comparison of adjectives, and their use in context in our dialogue, you are one step closer to mastering this beautiful language. Remember to practice as much as possible and to use resources like Find native speakers and ask them any questions. And to improve your Standard Estonian Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website.
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Well done on mastering this lesson! Don't miss these related pages to expand your knowledge: Conditional Mood, Pronouns, Prepositions & Basic Sentence Structure.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Nouns
- Conditional Mood
- Questions
- Give your Opinion
- Gender
- Plurals
- Articles
- How to Use Be
- How to Use Have