Verbs That Always Take the Partitive

Level 2

Some verbs always take a partitive object, whatever the tense: Ma armastan sind. (I love you.) Ma ootan sõpra. (I'm waiting for a friend.) Ma aitasin eile venda. (I helped my brother yesterday.)

How It Works

Common partitive verbs

  • Feelings: armastama (love), vihkama (hate), kartma (be afraid of), igatsema (miss)
  • Wanting and waiting: tahtma (want), ootama (wait for)
  • Knowing and helping: tundma (know a person; feel), aitama (help), tänama (thank)
  • Other everyday verbs: otsima (look for), puudutama (touch), alustama (begin)

Even a finished past stays partitive
Ma aitasin eile oma venda. (I helped my brother yesterday.) The help is over, but venda is still partitive, not the genitive venna.

Useful pairs

  • Ma otsin võtit. (I'm looking for the key.) – Ma leidsin võtme. (I found the key.) otsima on its own takes the partitive, but leidma can take the genitive.
  • Ma alustan tööd. (I'm starting work.)

Watch out for finishing words
A finishing word can change the meaning of a few of these verbs, and then a whole object is possible: Ma tundsin ta kohe ära. (I recognized her at once.) Ma otsisin võtme üles. (I found the key.)

Pronouns
The partitive forms of the personal pronouns are very common with these verbs: mind, sind, teda, meid, teid, neid. See pronouns in other cases.

Not the same as meeldima
For "like", Estonian uses meeldima, which has no object at all: Mulle meeldib see film. (I like this film.) Compare Ma armastan seda filmi. (I love this film.)

Examples (6)

  1. Ma armastan sind.

    I love you.

    Word by Word: I love you(PART)

  2. Ma ootan sõpra.

    I'm waiting for a friend.

    Word by Word: I wait friend(PART)

  3. Kas sa aitad mind?

    Will you help me?

    Word by Word: Q you help me(PART)

  4. Ma tunnen teda hästi.

    I know her well.

    Word by Word: I know her(PART) well

  5. Ma aitasin eile oma venda.

    I helped my brother yesterday.

    Word by Word: I helped yesterday own brother(PART)

    The action is finished, but aitama still takes the partitive.

  6. Ma tahan uut autot.

    I want a new car.

    Word by Word: I want new(PART) car(PART)

Common Mistakes

  • Using the genitive because the action is in the past.

    Ma aitasin eile oma venna.
    Ma aitasin eile oma venda.

    aitama always takes the partitive, so a finished past does not change the object case.

  • Using the genitive with tahtma.

    Ma tahan selle auto.
    Ma tahan seda autot.

    Wanting never reaches a result, so the object of tahtma is always partitive.

  • Using the basic form of a pronoun as the object.

    Ma armastan sina.
    Ma armastan sind.

    The object of armastama is partitive, and the partitive of sina is sind.

How It Connects

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

Verbs That Always Take the PartitiveLevel 2

Learn This First

Some verbs always choose the partitive object.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

armastamatahtmaootamaaitamakartmama armastan sind