Short Nominative, Long Stem

Level 4

Usually a word gets shorter in its other forms: kapp, kapi. In this group it is the other way around: mõte becomes mõtte, and hammas becomes hamba.

How It Works

You already know consonant gradation: many words have a strong stem and a weak stem. In most words the basic form is strong and other forms are weak: kapp → kapi, tuba → toa. In the words on this page it is the reverse: the basic form is weak, and most other forms are strong.

  • mõte (thought, idea) → mõtte: mõttes, mõttega
  • hüpe (jump) → hüppe
  • tunne (feeling) → tunde
  • hammas (tooth) → hamba: hambaarst (dentist)
  • ratas (wheel, bike) → ratta: rattaga (by bike)
  • rikas (rich) → rikka

The strong stem can have a longer consonant (t → tt, p → pp), a double consonant whose second half changes (mm → mb, nn → nd), or a different consonant (v → b: varvas → varba).

Which forms stay weak? Look at the five key forms:

  • nominative: mõte, hammas, ratas – weak
  • genitive: mõtte, hamba, ratta – strong
  • partitive: mõtet, hammast, ratast – weak
  • plural genitive: mõtete, hammaste, rataste – weak
  • plural partitive: mõtteid, hambaid, rattaid – strong

The other singular cases are built on the genitive, so they are strong: mõttes, mõttest, mõttele, rattaga. Most plural cases are built on the plural genitive, so they are weak: ratastel, hammastega.

Many of these words end in -e (mõte, hüpe, lõige, vaade, tunne) or -as (hammas, ratas, rikas). The ending alone does not tell you, so learn the key forms from the dictionary: mõte, mõtte, mõtet.

Examples (6)

  1. Mul on hea mõte!

    I have a good idea!

    Mõte is the nominative, so it has the weak stem.

  2. Ma olen selle mõttega nõus.

    I agree with that idea.

    Mõttega is built on the strong genitive mõtte.

  3. Sellel pole mõtet.

    There is no point in that.

    Word by Word: that-on not-is thought

    The partitive mõtet keeps the weak stem.

  4. Mul valutab hammas, pean hambaarsti juurde minema.

    I have a toothache, so I have to go to the dentist.

    Hammas is weak. The compound hambaarst uses the strong genitive hamba.

  5. Ta sõidab iga päev rattaga tööle.

    She rides her bike to work every day.

    Ratas → ratta → rattaga.

  6. Ta abiellus rikka mehega.

    She married a rich man.

    The adjective rikas also has a strong genitive: rikka.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding endings to the nominative.

    Ta sõidab ratasega tööle.
    Ta sõidab rattaga tööle.

    Case endings go on the genitive stem, and the genitive of ratas is ratta.

  • Making the partitive strong as well.

    Sellel pole mõttet.
    Sellel pole mõtet.

    The singular partitive keeps the weak stem of the nominative: mõtet, hammast, ratast.

How It Connects

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

Short Nominative, Long StemLevel 4

Learn This First

Reverse gradation inverts the usual gradation.