Adjectives with -tu

Without Something (-tu)

Level 4

Maitse means taste, so maitsetu means tasteless. -tu works like the English -less.

How It Works

Take a noun, put it in the genitive, and add -tu:

  • maitse → maitsetu (tasteless)
  • lootus (lootuse) → lootusetu (hopeless)
  • töö → töötu (unemployed)
  • raha → rahatu (penniless)
  • kodu → kodutu (homeless)
  • mõte (mõtte) → mõttetu (pointless)

-tu and the abessive. Most -tu words mean the same as the noun with -ta: lõhnatu gaas = lõhnata gaas. But some -tu words have a meaning of their own. Abitu means helpless, while abita means without help. Sõnatu means speechless, while sõnata means without words.

Forms. A -tu adjective declines like any vowel-stem adjective and agrees with its noun: töötu, töötu, töötut; plural töötud, töötute, töötuid. It takes the case of its noun: palju kodutuid kasse.

Related words. The opposite often ends in -kas: andetu (untalented) and andekas (talented). Adding -us makes a noun: töötu → töötus (unemployment). Adjectives in -matu look similar but are made from verbs and mean cannot be done: lahendamatu (unsolvable).

Examples (6)

  1. Supp oli täiesti maitsetu.

    The soup was completely tasteless.

    Maitse (taste) + -tu.

  2. Ta on juba pool aastat töötu.

    He has been unemployed for half a year already.

    Töö (work) + -tu.

  3. Olukord ei ole lootusetu.

    The situation is not hopeless.

    Lootus has the genitive lootuse, so it is lootusetu.

  4. Linnas on palju kodutuid kasse.

    There are many homeless cats in town.

    After palju, kodutu agrees with kasse in the plural partitive.

  5. Pärast reisi olin täiesti rahatu.

    After the trip I was completely broke.

    Raha (money) + -tu.

  6. See on mõttetu jutt.

    That's pointless talk.

    Mõte has the genitive mõtte, so it is mõttetu.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a -tu adjective where you mean without something.

    Ma kolisin abitu.
    Ma kolisin ilma abita.

    Abitu means helpless. To say that you moved without help, use the abessive abita, usually with ilma.

  • Not making the -tu adjective agree with its noun.

    Linnas on palju kodutu kasse.
    Linnas on palju kodutuid kasse.

    Like any adjective, a -tu adjective takes its noun's case and number: kodutuid kasse.

How It Connects

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Adjectives with -tuLevel 4Without Something (-tu)

Learn This First

-tu means without, like the abessive.

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Words in This Pattern

-tu