Talking About (Elative)

Level 2

Me rääkisime filmist means We talked about the film. Mida sa sellest arvad? means What do you think about it?

How It Works

The elative -st usually means out of. With verbs of communication and knowledge, it also means about:

  • rääkima: Me rääkisime filmist. Räägi mulle endast!
  • kirjutama: Ta kirjutas raamatu Eestist.
  • arvama: Mida sa sellest arvad?
  • kuulma, teadma, lugema: Kas sa oled sellest kuulnud? Ma ei tea temast midagi.

Ask about the topic with millest? or kellest?: Millest sa räägid? Pronouns use their elative forms: minust, sinust, temast, meist, sellest.

The postposition kohta (with the genitive) also means about or concerning, and it is common in questions and formal texts: Mul on küsimus hinna kohta. The verb mõtlema can take the elative (Ma mõtlen sinust) and often also the allative: Mõtle sellele!

Examples (6)

  1. Me rääkisime filmist.

    We talked about the film.

    Word by Word: we talked film-from

  2. Mida sa sellest arvad?

    What do you think about it?

    Sellest is the elative of see.

  3. Ta kirjutas raamatu Eestist.

    She wrote a book about Estonia.

  4. Räägi mulle endast!

    Tell me about yourself!

    Endast is the elative of ise.

  5. Kas sa oled sellest kuulnud?

    Have you heard about it?

  6. Ma ei tea temast midagi.

    I do not know anything about him.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the topic in the partitive, as if it were an object.

    Mida sa arvad seda?
    Mida sa sellest arvad?

    Mida is already the object of arvama. The topic you have an opinion about goes in the elative.

  • Using the inessive instead of the elative.

    Me rääkisime filmis.
    Me rääkisime filmist.

    Filmis means in the film, so the sentence says the talking happened inside the film. The topic takes -st.

How It Connects

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

Talking About (Elative)Level 2

Learn This First

The elative also marks a topic.

Words in This Pattern

miskes