kumb / mõlemad / kumbki

Which of Two and Both

Level 3

Kumb sulle meeldib? means Which of the two do you like? Mõlemad on head means Both are good. Kumbki ei tulnud means Neither of them came.

How It Works

Estonian has special words for pairs.

  • kumb (which of the two) is a question word: Kumb sulle rohkem meeldib, tee või kohv? Its main forms are kumb, kumma, kumba: Kummas käes see on? If there are more than two choices, use milline instead.
  • mõlemad (both) is plural and takes a plural verb: Mõlemad vennad elavad Tartus. Its forms are mõlemad, mõlemate, and mõlemaid or mõlemat. Singular case forms such as mõlemale and mõlemas are also used: Meile mõlemale meeldib jalutada. Mõlemas toas on aken.
  • kumbki means each of the two, taken one at a time. It is singular, so the verb is singular too: Kumbki laps sai ühe õuna. In a negative sentence it means neither: Kumbki ei tulnud. Ma ei tunne kumbagi. Its forms are kumbki, kummagi, kumbagi, and the other cases add -gi after the ending: kummalegi, kummaski.

To say neither of the two, use kumbki with ei. A sentence with mõlemad and a negative verb is unclear, because it can sound like not both of them.

Examples (6)

  1. Kumb sulle rohkem meeldib, tee või kohv?

    Which do you like more, tea or coffee?

  2. Mõlemad on head.

    Both are good.

  3. Kumbki ei tulnud.

    Neither of them came.

    kumbki with ei means neither.

  4. Mõlemad vennad elavad Tartus.

    Both brothers live in Tartu.

    mõlemad takes a plural verb.

  5. Kumbki laps sai ühe õuna.

    Each of the two children got an apple.

    In a positive sentence, kumbki means each of the two.

  6. Ma ei tunne kumbagi.

    I do not know either of them.

    kumbagi is the partitive, used after a negative verb.

Common Mistakes

  • Using kumb for a choice among more than two.

    Kumb neist kolmest kleidist sulle meeldib?
    Milline neist kolmest kleidist sulle meeldib?

    kumb is only for a choice between two. With three or more, ask with milline.

  • Using a plural verb with kumbki.

    Kumbki laps saavad kommi.
    Kumbki laps saab kommi.

    kumbki looks at the two one at a time, so it is singular and takes a singular verb.

  • Using mõlemad with ei to mean neither.

    Mõlemad ei tulnud.
    Kumbki ei tulnud.

    To say that neither of the two came, Estonian uses kumbki with ei. Mõlemad with a negative verb is unclear and can sound like not both came.

How It Connects

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

kumb / mõlemad / kumbkiLevel 3Which of Two and Both

Learn This First

kumbki adds -ki; mõlemad is like kõik.

Words in This Pattern

kumbmõlemadkumbki