-mata Form
Without Doing (-mata)
Ta lahkus midagi ütlemata means he left without saying anything. Add -ta to the ma-infinitive: ütlema becomes ütlemata.
How It Works
Form: ma-infinitive + ta: ütlema → ütlemata, sööma → söömata, lugema → lugemata, tegema → tegemata.
1. Without doing. It is the negative of the des-form: Ta lahkus hüvasti jättes (saying goodbye) but Ta lahkus hüvasti jätmata (without saying goodbye). You may add ilma in front: Ta lahkus ilma sõnagi ütlemata. An object in this phrase is usually partitive: midagi ütlemata, ust lukustamata.
2. Not done yet. With olema and jääma it describes something still undone. It is the negative of the -tud form: Tuba on koristatud (The room is tidied) but Tuba on koristamata (The room is not tidied). Mul on raamat veel lugemata. (I haven't read the book yet.) Uks jäi lukustamata. (The door was left unlocked.)
3. Leaving something undone. With jätma (leave): Jätsin toa koristamata. (I left the room untidied.)
Commas. Like a des-phrase, a -mata phrase after the main clause that begins with the -mata form gets a comma. Before the main clause it usually has none: Midagi ütlemata lahkus ta toast.
Do not mix it up with adjectives in -matu, which describe what cannot be done: lugematu means countless.
Examples (6)
- Ta lahkus midagi ütlemata.
He left without saying anything.
Word by Word: he left something saying-without
midagi is partitive, as objects in a without-phrase usually are.
- Mul on see raamat veel lugemata.
I haven't read this book yet.
Word by Word: at-me is this book still reading-without
- Ära mine kooli söömata!
Don't go to school without eating!
- Uks jäi lukustamata.
The door was left unlocked.
- Ta tuli tööle hommikust söömata.
She came to work without eating breakfast.
- Kodutöö on veel tegemata.
The homework isn't done yet.
The negative of Kodutöö on tehtud.
Common Mistakes
Using the ma-infinitive after ilma.
Ta lahkus ilma midagi ütlema.Ta lahkus ilma midagi ütlemata.ilma needs the -mata form, and ilma itself can also be left out.
Using a da-infinitive for "without doing".
Ta läks kooli ilma süüa.Ta läks kooli söömata.Estonian has no "without + infinitive". Use the -mata form.
Confusing -mata with the -matu adjective.
Mul on raamat veel lugematu.Mul on raamat veel lugemata.lugematu means countless. For "not read yet", use lugemata.
How It Connects
Learn This First
-mata is the without-form of the ma-infinitive.
Related Patterns
- -des FormWhile Doing (-des)
-mata is the negative partner of the des-form.
Level 3 - -tud Form
on koristatud (done) and on koristamata (not done) are opposites.
Level 3 - jätma + -mataLeaving Undone (Jätma + -mata)
jätma + -mata means leaving something undone.
Level 4 - Not Yet Done (-mata)
-mata can also describe a noun: lugemata raamat.
Level 4 - Adjectives with -matu
Adjectives like lugematu look similar but mean something that cannot be done.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice -mata Form in Bubblegum
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