Understanding the Partitive Case in Estonian
The Partitive Case is a special way to change words in Estonian to show a part of something, an incomplete action, or when talking about objects and quantities.
Important Points
- Used to express partial objects or quantities.
- Used with numbers and when talking about amounts.
- Often used with verbs to show ongoing actions.
- Used in negative sentences.
In Estonian, nouns and adjectives change their endings to show the Partitive Case. This helps us understand if we are talking about a whole thing or just a part of it.
Examples
- Ma söön õuna (I am eating an apple) - Here, 'õuna' is in the Partitive Case showing part of the apple.
- Mul on raha (I have money) - 'Raha' is in the Partitive Case indicating some amount of money.
- Ma ei näe koera (I do not see the dog) - 'Koera' is in the Partitive Case used in a negative sentence.
To form the Partitive Case, you usually add specific endings to the word. These endings can be '-a', '-e', '-i', or '-u', depending on the word.
Examples
- Õun -> Õuna (apple)
- Raamat -> Raamatut (book)
- Koer -> Koera (dog)
Important Points
- Singular Partitive often ends with '-a', '-e', '-i', or '-u'.
- Plural Partitive usually ends with '-id', '-sid', or '-i'.
Understanding the Partitive Case helps you talk about things in a more detailed way, like when you want to say you have some of something, or when you are doing something but not finished yet.