Adjectives with -ni, -na, -ta, -ga

Level 3

suures majas (in a big house) repeats the ending, but suure majaga (with a big house) does not.

How It Works

In most cases an adjective agrees fully with its noun: suur maja, suure maja, suures majas, suurele majale. In the last four cases only the noun takes the ending:

  • Terminative -ni: vana kirikuni (as far as the old church)
  • Essive -na: noore õpetajana (as a young teacher)
  • Abessive -ta: sooja mütsita (without a warm hat)
  • Comitative -ga: uue autoga (with the new car)

The adjective still agrees in number: in the plural it is in the genitive plural: tublide õpilastega, vanade sõpradega.

The same rule covers every word in front of the noun: pronouns (selle mehega, minu sõbraga), numbers (kolme lapsega) and several adjectives in a row (suure punase autoga). If the adjective stands alone without a noun, it takes the ending itself: Ma sõidan punasega. (I will drive the red one.)

Examples (6)

  1. Nad kolisid suure aiaga majja.

    They moved into a house with a big garden.

    Word by Word: they moved big-GEN garden-with house-into

  2. Isa tuli uue autoga.

    Dad came in the new car.

    Word by Word: dad came new-GEN car-with

  3. Õpetaja on tublide õpilastega rahul.

    The teacher is happy with the hard-working students.

    Word by Word: teacher is hard-working-GEN.PL students-with satisfied

    In the plural the adjective is genitive plural.

  4. Kõndisime vana kirikuni.

    We walked as far as the old church.

    Word by Word: walked-we old-GEN church-until

  5. Noore õpetajana elasin Tartus.

    As a young teacher, I lived in Tartu.

    Word by Word: young-GEN teacher-as lived-I Tartu-in

  6. Ära mine välja sooja mütsita!

    Do not go out without a warm hat!

    Word by Word: don't go out warm-GEN hat-without

Common Mistakes

  • Repeating -ga on the adjective.

    Nad sõitsid suurega autoga.
    Nad sõitsid suure autoga.

    In the comitative only the noun takes -ga. The adjective stays in the genitive.

  • Repeating the ending in the plural.

    Ta käis vanadega sõpradega kinos.
    Ta käis vanade sõpradega kinos.

    The plural adjective is in the genitive plural, vanade, with no -ga.

  • Leaving the adjective singular with a plural noun.

    Õpetaja on tubli õpilastega rahul.
    Õpetaja on tublide õpilastega rahul.

    The adjective still agrees in number, so a plural noun needs a genitive plural adjective.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Adjectives with -ni, -na, -ta, -gaLevel 3

Learn This First

The last four cases are the exception to agreement.

Words in This Pattern

-na-ta-ga