Language/Standard-estonian/Grammar/Nouns
Hi Standard Estonian learners! 😊
In today's lesson, we will be discussing the basics of Standard Estonian grammar, with a focus on nouns. We will look at the different types of nouns, how to form them, and how to use them in sentences. By the end of this lesson, you should have a good understanding of Standard Estonian nouns.
Types of Nouns
Standard Estonian has two main types of nouns: common nouns and proper nouns. Common nouns are general words that refer to people, places, things, or ideas. Proper nouns are specific names for people, places, things, or ideas.
Common Nouns
Common nouns can be divided into two categories: concrete nouns and abstract nouns. Concrete nouns refer to tangible objects, such as people, animals, places, and things. Abstract nouns refer to intangible concepts, such as emotions, ideas, and qualities.
Proper Nouns
Proper nouns are always capitalized and refer to specific people, places, things, or ideas. Examples of proper nouns include names of people (e.g. John Smith), places (e.g. London), organizations (e.g. Microsoft), and titles (e.g. President).
Noun Formation
Standard Estonian nouns can be formed in several ways. Nouns can be formed from verbs, adjectives, and other nouns.
Verbal Nouns
Verbal nouns are formed from verbs and usually refer to an action or process. Verbal nouns are formed by adding the suffixes -mine, -lus, or -sus to the verb stem. For example, the verb "to read" (loe) becomes the verbal noun "reading" (loemine).
Adjectival Nouns
Adjectival nouns are formed from adjectives and usually refer to a quality or characteristic. Adjectival nouns are formed by adding the suffix -sus to the adjective stem. For example, the adjective "happy" (rõõmus) becomes the adjectival noun "happiness" (rõõmussus).
Derived Nouns
Derived nouns are formed from other nouns and usually refer to a person or thing associated with the original noun. Derived nouns are formed by adding the suffix -ja to the noun stem. For example, the noun "teacher" (õpetaja) becomes the derived noun "student" (õpilane).
Noun Usage
Standard Estonian nouns can be used in several ways. Nouns can be used as the subject or object of a sentence, as the object of a preposition, or as a possessive.
Subject and Object
Nouns can be used as the subject or object of a sentence. The subject is the person or thing performing the action, while the object is the person or thing receiving the action. For example, in the sentence "John reads a book," John is the subject and the book is the object.
Prepositional Objects
Nouns can also be used as the object of a preposition. Prepositions are words that indicate the relationship between two words in a sentence. For example, in the sentence "John reads a book in the library," the library is the object of the preposition "in."
Possessives
Nouns can also be used as possessives. Possessives indicate ownership or possession. Possessives are formed by adding the suffix -s to the noun stem. For example, the noun "book" (raamat) becomes the possessive "book's" (raamatu).
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