-mast Form
Coming from Doing (-mast)
Ta tuli ujumast means she came back from swimming. Add -st to the ma-infinitive: ujuma becomes ujumast.
How It Works
The -mast form is the ma-infinitive + st: ujuma → ujumast, sööma → söömast, nutma → nutmast, naerma → naermast. It works like the elative -st: "out of" an activity.
Coming back. With tulema and similar verbs: Ta tuli just ujumast. Ema tuli jalutamast.
Stopping, refusing, preventing. Some verbs need -mast:
- lakkama (stop): Laps lakkas nutmast.
- keelduma (refuse): Ta keeldus söömast.
- takistama (prevent): Vihm takistas meid minemast.
The whole family: Lähen ujuma (going to swim), Olen ujumas (out swimming), Tulen ujumast (back from swimming).
lakkama or lõpetama? Both mean "stop", but lõpetama takes a noun object, usually a -mine noun: Ta lõpetas suitsetamise. lakkama takes -mast: Ta lakkas suitsetamast.
Examples (6)
- Ta tuli just ujumast.
She has just come back from swimming.
Word by Word: she came just swimming-from
- Laps lakkas lõpuks nutmast.
The child finally stopped crying.
- Ta keeldus söömast.
He refused to eat.
- Vihm takistas meid minemast.
The rain kept us from going.
- Ma ei suutnud naermast lakata.
I couldn't stop laughing.
lakkama is in the da-infinitive here, but it still takes -mast.
- Kui ma koju jõudsin, tuli ema just jalutamast.
When I got home, Mom had just come back from a walk.
Common Mistakes
Using -ma after lakkama.
Laps lakkas nutma.Laps lakkas nutmast.When lakkama (stop) has another verb with it, that verb is always in the -mast form.
Using a da-infinitive after keelduma, as in English "refuse to".
Ta keeldus süüa.Ta keeldus söömast.keelduma takes the -mast form of the verb.
Using -mas for coming back.
Ta tuli ujumas.Ta tuli ujumast.Coming back from an activity is "out of" it, so it takes -mast.
How It Connects
Learn This First
-mast is the from-form beside -mas.
Related Patterns
- ma-InfinitiveThe Ma-Infinitive (Dictionary Form)
-mast is one of the case-like forms of the ma-infinitive.
Level 1 - tulema + ElativeComing from (Tulema + Elative)
Coming from a place uses the elative, just as coming from an activity uses -mast.
Level 1 - Verbs That Take the Elative
Several verbs that take -mast also take an elative noun.
Level 3 - Verbal Noun (-mine)
lõpetama takes a -mine noun where lakkama takes -mast.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice -mast Form in Bubblegum
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