Relative Clause with mis

Level 3

In Raamat, mida ma loen, on huvitav, the part mida ma loen tells which book. mis becomes mida because it is the object of loen.

How It Works

A relative clause describes a noun, like English "the book that I am reading". For things, Estonian starts it with mis.

Choose the case inside the clause. Ask what job mis does in its own clause:

  • subject: Raamat, mis on laual, on minu. (The book that is on the table is mine.)
  • partial object: Raamat, mida ma loen, on huvitav.
  • whole object: Kas see raamat, mille sa ostsid, on hea?
  • place: Maja, milles me elame, on vana.
  • with -ga: Nuga, millega ma leiba lõikan, on terav.

The forms are mis, mille, mida, and then mille- plus any case ending: millesse, milles, millest, millele, millel, millelt, milleks, milleni, millena, milleta, millega. The same forms are normally used for plural nouns too: Lilled, mis aias kasvavad, istutas vanaema. The object forms follow the usual rules, so an unfinished action takes mida and a finished one takes mille (see the partitive object).

mis or kes? kes refers to people and mis to things. For a company, a team or another group, both are possible: firma, mis ~ kes ehitas selle maja. For animals, mis is common, but an animal seen as acting on its own often gets kes: hobune, kes aasal rohtu sõi.

mis can also point back to a whole sentence: Ta tuli õigel ajal, mis on haruldane. (She came on time, which is rare.)

Commas and position. Put commas on both sides of the clause and keep it right after its noun. In casual speech, some people also use mis about people (see mees, mis seal seisab), but in writing use kes.

Examples (6)

  1. Raamat, mida ma loen, on väga huvitav.

    The book I am reading is very interesting.

    Word by Word: book which-PART I read is very interesting

    mida is the partitive: the reading is not finished.

  2. Maja, milles me elame, on sada aastat vana.

    The house we live in is a hundred years old.

    milles is the inessive (-s) of mis: we live in it.

  3. Kas see raamat, mille sa ostsid, on hea?

    Is the book you bought good?

    mille is the genitive, because buying the book is a finished action on a whole object.

  4. See on nuga, millega ma leiba lõikan.

    This is the knife I cut bread with.

    millega is the comitative: I cut with it.

  5. Ta tuli õigel ajal, mis on haruldane.

    She came on time, which is rare.

    Here mis refers to the whole first sentence, not to one noun.

  6. Lilled, mis aias kasvavad, istutas vanaema.

    Grandma planted the flowers that grow in the garden.

    The same form mis is used for a plural noun.

Common Mistakes

  • Using kes for a thing.

    Auto, kes seisab maja ees, on minu.
    Auto, mis seisab maja ees, on minu.

    kes is for people. A car is a thing, so the clause starts with mis.

  • Leaving mis in its basic form when the clause needs another case.

    Maja, mis me elame, on vana.
    Maja, milles me elame, on vana.

    We live in the house, so mis needs the inessive: milles. You could also say kus me elame.

  • Leaving out the commas around the clause.

    Raamat mida ma loen on huvitav.
    Raamat, mida ma loen, on huvitav.

    A relative clause is always separated by commas, one before it and one after it if the sentence continues.

How It Connects

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Relative Clause with misLevel 3

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A mis clause works like a kes clause for things.

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Words in This Pattern

mismida