Plural Case Forms

Level 2

To make most plural cases, take the plural genitive and add the case ending: majade → majades (in the houses), laste → lastega (with the children).

How It Works

Once you know a word's plural genitive, the rest of the plural is easy. Add the same case endings you use in the singular:

  • majade + -sse → majadesse (into the houses)
  • majade + -s → majades (in the houses)
  • majade + -st → majadest (out of the houses, about the houses)
  • majade + -le → majadele (onto the houses, to the houses)
  • majade + -l → majadel (on the houses)
  • majade + -lt → majadelt (off the houses)
  • majade + -ks, -ni, -na, -ta, -ga → majadeks, majadeni, majadena, majadeta, majadega

It works the same way with -te words: laste → lastel, lastele, lastega; inimeste → inimestega; raamatute → raamatutes. Watch words whose plural genitive has a different stem: sõber → sõprade → sõpradega, tuba → tubade → tubades.

Two plural forms do not follow this rule. The nominative plural adds -d to the singular genitive (maja → majad, laps → lapsed), and the partitive plural has its own endings (maju, lapsi).

Adjectives take the same plural case forms as their noun (vanades majades), except with -ni, -na, -ta and -ga, where the adjective stays in the plural genitive: suurte majadega.

Examples (6)

  1. Vanades majades on paksud seinad.

    Old houses have thick walls.

    Vanades and majades are both built on plural genitives.

  2. Ma räägin lastega eesti keelt.

    I speak Estonian with the children.

    Laste + -ga gives lastega.

  3. Õpetaja andis lastele raamatud.

    The teacher gave the children the books.

    Laste + -le gives lastele.

  4. Me läksime sõpradega kinno.

    We went to the cinema with friends.

    The ending goes on sõprade, not on the nominative sõbrad.

  5. Kõigil inimestel on õigus puhata.

    All people have the right to rest.

  6. Raamatutes on palju pilte.

    There are many pictures in the books.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding the ending to the nominative plural.

    Ma räägin lapsedega.
    Ma räägin lastega.

    Plural cases are built on the plural genitive laste, not on lapsed.

  • Using the stem of the nominative plural.

    Me läksime sõbradega kinno.
    Me läksime sõpradega kinno.

    The plural genitive of sõber is sõprade, and the comitative is built on it.

  • Putting -ga on the adjective as well.

    Ma olen rahul uutega raamatutega.
    Ma olen rahul uute raamatutega.

    With -ga, -ni, -na and -ta, only the noun takes the ending. The adjective stays in the plural genitive.

How It Connects

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

Plural Case FormsLevel 2

Learn This First

Most plural cases add endings to the plural genitive.