Short Vowel Plural

Level 5

Silmades and silmis both mean in the eyes. The second one is the short vowel plural, built from the plural partitive silmi. You meet it in writing and in fixed phrases like tema silmis (in his eyes).

How It Works

The usual plural is built on the plural genitive with -de or -te: silm → silmade → silmades. Some words also have a vowel plural. It is built from the plural partitive, with the case ending added:

  • silmi (eyes, partitive) → silmis (in the eyes)
  • päevi (days) → päevil (on the days)
  • sõnu (words) → sõnul (by the words, according to)
  • aastaid (years) → aastais (in the years, without the -d)

Some words switch to their weak stem: jalg (foot) has jalgu, but jalul.

Words with an -id partitive, like aasta (aastaid), can use the short form in any local case, but it sounds written: aastates or aastais. For words like silm, päev, sõna and jalg, the short form appears only in fixed phrases. Everywhere else, use the -de/-te plural:

  • jalul olema: to be up and about. Vanaema on jälle jalul. (Grandma is back on her feet.)
  • jalust rabama: to amaze. Uudis rabas mind jalust. (The news knocked me off my feet.)
  • kellegi silmis: in someone's opinion. Tema silmis oled sa kangelane. (In his eyes you are a hero.)
  • kellegi sõnul: according to someone. Arsti sõnul pole midagi karta. (According to the doctor, there is nothing to fear.)
  • lähipäevil: in the coming days.
  • käsil olema: to be under way. Remont on praegu käsil. (The renovation is under way now.)

Many words have no vowel plural at all. Ema has only emasid in the partitive, so its plural cases are always emadel, emadega. Auto has only autosid, so you always say autodes.

You already know one very common short plural: the pronoun forms neil, neis and neile (they, those), as in Neil on koer (They have a dog).

Examples (6)

  1. Vanaema on pärast haigust jälle jalul.

    Grandma is back on her feet after her illness.

    Word by Word: grandma is after illness again on-feet

    Jalul olema is a fixed phrase meaning up and about, not sick in bed.

  2. Tema silmis oled sa kangelane.

    In his eyes, you are a hero.

  3. Ministri sõnul tehakse otsus lähipäevil.

    According to the minister, the decision will be made in the coming days.

    Both sõnul and lähipäevil are short vowel plurals, typical of news language.

  4. See uudis rabas mind jalust.

    That news knocked me off my feet.

  5. Remont on praegu käsil.

    The renovation is under way right now.

  6. Neil päevil sadas palju lund.

    In those days it snowed a lot.

    Neil is the short plural of need (those), and päevil is the short plural of päev. The everyday version is nendel päevadel.

Common Mistakes

  • Making a vowel plural from a word that does not have one.

    Autois on mugavad istmed.
    Autodes on mugavad istmed.

    Intended meaning: the cars have comfortable seats. Auto has no vowel plural (its partitive is only autosid), so every plural case uses -de: autodes.

  • Using the -de plural in a fixed phrase that needs the short form.

    Ministri sõnadel on olukord rahulik.
    Ministri sõnul on olukord rahulik.

    Intended meaning: according to the minister, the situation is calm. "According to" is the fixed short form sõnul. Sõnadel means on the words, which does not fit here.

How It Connects

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Short Vowel PluralLevel 5

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The vowel plural is an alternative plural stem.

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Words in This Pattern

jalul