Terminative (-ni)

Level 2

Add -ni to the genitive stem to mark an end point: Tartu → Tartuni, õhtu → õhtuni.

How It Works

The terminative is formed from the genitive singular + -ni: Tartu → Tartuni, viis → viie → viieni, homne → homse → homseni. In the plural it is -deni/-teni.

  • Space: Buss sõidab Tartuni. (The bus goes as far as Tartu.)
  • Time: Ma töötan kella viieni. (I work until five.) Ootasin teda hommikust õhtuni.
  • Amount: Temperatuur langes kolme kraadini. (The temperature fell to three degrees.)

The terminative appears in everyday goodbyes: Homseni! (Until tomorrow!) and Nägemiseni! (Goodbye, literally "until seeing"). The word kuni can go before it for emphasis: kuni reedeni.

An adjective before a noun in the terminative stays in the genitive and does not take -ni: suure kivini (up to the big stone). Compare the translative: reedeks means by Friday, but reedeni means until Friday.

Examples (5)

  1. Ma töötan kella viieni.

    I work until five o'clock.

    Viis → viie → viieni: the ending goes on the genitive stem.

  2. Buss sõidab Tartuni.

    The bus goes as far as Tartu.

    Tartuni marks where the trip ends. Tartusse would mean "into Tartu".

  3. Ootasin teda hommikust õhtuni.

    I waited for him from morning until evening.

    An elative start point often pairs with a terminative end point.

  4. Loe raamat lõpuni.

    Read the book to the end.

    Lõpp → lõpu → lõpuni.

  5. Aitäh ja homseni!

    Thanks, and see you tomorrow!

    Word by Word: thanks and tomorrow-until

    Homseni is a common goodbye.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -ni to the nominative instead of the genitive stem.

    Ma töötan kella viisni.
    Ma töötan kella viieni.

    The terminative is built on the genitive stem. The genitive of viis is viie, so the form is viieni.

  • Putting -ni on both the adjective and the noun.

    Me kõndisime suureni kivini.
    Me kõndisime suure kivini.

    In the terminative, only the noun takes -ni. The adjective before it stays in the genitive.

How It Connects

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Terminative (-ni)Level 2

Learn This First

The terminative adds -ni to the genitive stem.