Adjectives Agree with the Noun

Level 1

suur maja → suure maja → suurt maja → suures majas → suured majad. But: suure majaga.

How It Works

Same case, same number

  • nominative: suur maja – suured majad
  • genitive: suure maja – suurte majade
  • partitive: suurt maja – suuri maju
  • inessive: suures majas – suurtes majades
  • allative: suurele majale – suurtele majadele

Words like see (this) agree in the same way: selles uues kohvikus (in this new café).

The last four cases
With -ni, -na, -ta and -ga the adjective keeps the genitive form and only the noun takes the ending: suure majaga (with a big house), vana sõbraga (with an old friend), suurte majadega (with big houses). See adjectives in the last four cases.

After olema
An adjective that describes the subject after olema is nominative and matches its number: Maja on suur. Majad on suured. See olema + predicate.

Words that never change

  • Language and nationality words used before a noun: eesti keel, inglise keeles (in English), soome saunas (in a Finnish sauna).
  • A few adjectives such as valmis (ready) and eri (separate): eri tubades (in separate rooms).
  • Past forms in -nud before a noun: väsinud mehele (to the tired man).

Examples (6)

  1. Me elame suures majas.

    We live in a big house.

    Word by Word: we live big(INE) house(INE)

  2. Mul on uus telefon.

    I have a new phone.

    Word by Word: to-me is new phone

  3. Ma võtan punase kleidi.

    I'll take the red dress.

    Word by Word: I take red(GEN) dress(GEN)

  4. Väikesed lapsed mängivad õues.

    Little children are playing outside.

    Word by Word: little(PL) children play outside

  5. Ma räägin oma vana sõbraga.

    I'm talking with my old friend.

    Word by Word: I talk own old(GEN) friend-with

    With -ga the adjective stays in the genitive: vana, not vanaga.

  6. Selles uues kohvikus on hea kohv.

    There is good coffee in this new café.

    Word by Word: this(INE) new(INE) café(INE) is good coffee

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the adjective in the basic form.

    Me elame suur majas.
    Me elame suures majas.

    The adjective must take the same ending as the noun: suures majas.

  • Adding -ga to the adjective as well.

    Ma tulen uuega autoga.
    Ma tulen uue autoga.

    In the -ga, -ni, -na and -ta cases only the noun gets the ending; the adjective stays genitive.

  • Inflecting a language word before keel.

    Ma räägin inglises keeles.
    Ma räägin inglise keeles.

    Words like eesti, inglise and soome never change before a noun. Only keel takes the ending.

How It Connects

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Adjectives Agree with the NounLevel 1

Learn This First

Adjectives copy the noun's case and number.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

-na-ta-ga