Long to Short Stems

Level 3

Kapp means "cupboard", but "of the cupboard" is kapi, with one p. The sound gets shorter in the weak form.

How It Works

Estonian has three degrees of length. In many words, the strong forms have an overlong syllable and the weak forms have a shorter one. This is quantitative gradation: the sound stays the same but its length changes.

When you can see it: a double kk, pp, tt, ss becomes single:

  • kapp → kapi (cupboard), tükk → tüki (piece), kott → koti (bag), poiss → poisi (boy)
  • õppima → õpin (I study), kukkuma → kukun (I fall)

When you only hear it: linn – linna, kool – kooli, laev – laeva. The genitive linna (of the city) is shorter than the partitive linna, even though they are spelled the same.

After a long vowel or after l, m, n, r, a short k, p, t becomes g, b, d: pank → panga, vaatama → vaadata. Linguists count this as a length change too. Because the letter changes, it is also shown in the lesson on consonants that change or vanish.

Which forms are weak? For nouns like kapp, the nominative is strong and the genitive is weak. Most other singular cases are built on the genitive: kapis, kapist, kapile, plural kapid. The partitive stays strong: kappi, plural kappe. For verbs like õppima, the present is weak (õpin, õpib), while the infinitives and the past are strong (õppida, õppisin).

Examples (6)

  1. Kapi uks on lahti.

    The cupboard door is open.

    Word by Word: cupboard-of door is open

    Kapp → kapi in the genitive.

  2. Pane piim kappi.

    Put the milk in the cupboard.

    The short illative kappi keeps the strong pp.

  3. Ma söön tüki kooki.

    I'll eat a piece of cake.

    Tükk → tüki.

  4. Ma õpin eesti keelt.

    I'm learning Estonian.

    Õppima → õpin: the present tense is weak.

  5. Poisi nimi on Mart.

    The boy's name is Mart.

    Poiss → poisi.

  6. Ma elan väikeses linnas.

    I live in a small town.

    Linn → linnas: the nn is shorter in speech, but the spelling does not change.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the double consonant in the present tense.

    Ma õppin eesti keelt.
    Ma õpin eesti keelt.

    The present tense of õppima is weak: õpin, õpid, õpib.

  • Using the strong form in the genitive.

    Kappi uks on lahti.
    Kapi uks on lahti.

    The genitive is weak: kapi. Kappi is the partitive or short illative.

  • Using the weak form after a number.

    Palun kaks tüki.
    Palun kaks tükki.

    A number takes the partitive singular, and the partitive is strong: tükki.

How It Connects

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

Long to Short StemsLevel 3

Learn This First

Quantitative gradation is one type of gradation seen in key forms.