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Nominative Case (Nimetav)

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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

The Nominative (Nimetav) is the dictionary form of a noun, used primarily for the subject of a sentence.

  • Use it for the subject: 'Koer haugub' (The dog barks).
  • Use it for naming things: 'See on auto' (This is a car).
  • It is the base form found in dictionaries: 'maja' (house).
Subject (Nominative) + Verb + Object

Nominative Case Formation

Noun Type Nominative Form Example
Common Noun
Base
kass
Proper Noun
Base
Tallinn
Pronoun
Base
mina
Adjective (as noun)
Base
ilus
Plural
Add -d
kassid
Compound
Base
koolimaja

Meanings

The Nominative case is the default, uninflected form of a noun in Estonian. It identifies the subject performing the action or the entity being described.

1

Subject

The agent performing the verb.

“Laps magab.”

“Auto sõidab.”

2

Predicate Nominative

Used after the verb 'to be' (olema) to define the subject.

“See on laud.”

“Ta on õpetaja.”

3

Dictionary Entry

The form used to look up words.

“kass”

“koer”

Reference Table

Reference table for Nominative Case (Nimetav)
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Subject + Verb
Koer haugub.
Negative
Subject + ei + Verb
Koer ei haugu.
Question
Kas + Subject + Verb
Kas koer haugub?
Identification
Subject + on + Noun
See on koer.
Plural
Subject (plural) + Verb
Koerad hauguvad.
Negated ID
Subject + ei ole + Noun
See ei ole koer.

Spectre de formalité

Formel
Auto on uus.

Auto on uus. (General statement)

Neutre
Auto on uus.

Auto on uus. (General statement)

Informel
Auto on uus.

Auto on uus. (General statement)

Argot
Auto on uus.

Auto on uus. (General statement)

Nominative Case Map

Nimetav (Nominative)

Function

  • Subject Agent

Usage

  • Dictionary Lookup

Syntax

  • Olema To be

Nominative vs. Partitive

Nominative
Kass Cat
Partitive
Kassi Cat (partitive)

Exemples par niveau

1

Kass magab.

The cat is sleeping.

2

See on auto.

This is a car.

3

Poiss jookseb.

The boy is running.

4

Lill on ilus.

The flower is beautiful.

1

Minu sõber elab Tallinnas.

My friend lives in Tallinn.

2

Kas koer on kuri?

Is the dog mean?

3

Ema ei ole kodus.

Mom is not at home.

4

Raamat on laual.

The book is on the table.

1

Õpetaja selgitab uut teemat.

The teacher explains the new topic.

2

Tudengid valmistuvad eksamiks.

The students are preparing for the exam.

3

Ilm on täna väga ilus.

The weather is very beautiful today.

4

Auto vajab remonti.

The car needs repair.

1

Valitsus tegi uue otsuse.

The government made a new decision.

2

Ettevõte otsib uusi töötajaid.

The company is looking for new employees.

3

Kultuur on ühiskonna alus.

Culture is the foundation of society.

4

Loodus on siin puutumatu.

Nature is untouched here.

1

Tehnoloogia areneb kiiremini kui kunagi varem.

Technology is developing faster than ever before.

2

Demokraatia nõuab kodanike aktiivsust.

Democracy requires citizen activity.

3

Kunstnik väljendab oma tundeid läbi värvide.

The artist expresses their feelings through colors.

4

Teaduslik lähenemine on hädavajalik.

A scientific approach is essential.

1

Eesti keel on rikas oma väljenduste poolest.

The Estonian language is rich in its expressions.

2

Filosoofiline arutelu kestis tunde.

The philosophical discussion lasted for hours.

3

Traditsioon on rahvuse identiteedi nurgakivi.

Tradition is the cornerstone of national identity.

4

Majanduslik stabiilsus on riigi prioriteet.

Economic stability is the state's priority.

Facile à confondre

Nominative Case (Nimetav) vs Nominative vs. Partitive

Learners often use the Partitive for the subject.

Nominative Case (Nimetav) vs Nominative vs. Genitive

Learners confuse the base form with the possessive.

Nominative Case (Nimetav) vs Nominative vs. Accusative

Estonian doesn't have a distinct Accusative case, using Genitive/Partitive instead.

Erreurs courantes

✗

Ma näen kassi (as subject)

✓

Kass on siin.

Using the wrong case for the subject.
✗

See on autot.

✓

See on auto.

Adding a partitive ending to a nominative predicate.
✗

Kassid jookseb.

✓

Kassid jooksevad.

Subject-verb agreement error.
✗

Koer on suur.

✓

Koer on suur.

Actually correct, but often learners add extra endings.
✗

Laps sööb õun.

✓

Laps sööb õuna.

Using Nominative for the object.
✗

Kas on koer?

✓

Kas see on koer?

Missing the subject in a question.
✗

Auto on punased.

✓

Auto on punane.

Pluralizing the adjective when the noun is singular.
✗

Minu sõber on õpetajat.

✓

Minu sõber on õpetaja.

Using Partitive after 'olema'.
✗

Raamatud on laual.

✓

Raamatud on laual.

Correct, but learners often forget the plural -d.
✗

See on minu ema.

✓

See on minu ema.

Correct, but learners often add Genitive endings.
✗

Inimesed on väsinud.

✓

Inimesed on väsinud.

Correct, but learners often struggle with plural agreement in complex sentences.
✗

Teadus on arenenud.

✓

Teadus on arenenud.

Correct, but learners might use the wrong case for the agent.
✗

Kõik on valmis.

✓

Kõik on valmis.

Correct, but learners often use the wrong pronoun form.

Structures de phrases

See on ___.

___ on ilus.

___ magab.

Kas ___ on siin?

Real World Usage

Social Media constant

Kass on armas!

Texting constant

Sõber tuleb.

Job Interview common

Minu kogemus on suur.

Ordering Food common

See on minu tellimus.

Travel common

See on hotell.

News very common

Valitsus tegi otsuse.

💡

Dictionary Lookup

Always look for the Nominative form in the dictionary.
⚠️

Don't add endings

If it's the subject, keep it simple!
🎯

Subject-Verb Agreement

Make sure the verb matches the singular/plural Nominative subject.
💬

Be direct

Estonians appreciate clear subjects.

Smart Tips

Always use the Nominative after 'on'.

See on autot. → See on auto.

The first word is usually the Nominative subject.

Kassi jookseb. → Kass jookseb.

Just add -d to the Nominative base.

Kassid on kassi. → Kassid on kassid.

Names are also Nominative.

Peetrit on siin. → Peeter on siin.

Prononciation

kass (short), kaas (long), kaaas (overlong)

Vowel length

Estonian has three vowel lengths; ensure the Nominative is pronounced with the correct length.

Declarative

Auto on uus. ↘

Falling intonation for statements.

Mémorise-le

Moyen mnémotechnique

Nimetav is the 'Name' case—it's how you name the subject.

Association visuelle

Imagine a cat sitting on a throne. The cat is the boss (subject), so it wears a crown (the Nominative case).

Rhyme

The Nominative is the start, it plays the leading part.

Story

Once there was a cat named Kalle. Kalle is the subject, so he is in the Nominative. He sits on a chair. Kalle is the boss of the house.

Word Web

kasskoermajaautoemaisalaps

Défi

Look around your room and name 5 things in Estonian using the Nominative case (e.g., 'See on laud').

Notes culturelles

Estonians value directness. Using the Nominative correctly for subjects is seen as clear communication.

In Seto dialects, the Nominative form is often preserved even when other cases are used.

Younger speakers often use shortened Nominative forms in slang.

The Nominative case in Estonian is inherited from Proto-Finnic.

Amorces de conversation

“

Kes see on?

“

Mis see on?

“

Kes on sinu õpetaja?

“

Milline auto on parim?

Sujets d'écriture

Describe your pet using the Nominative case.
List 5 things in your room.
Describe your best friend.
Write about your favorite city.

Erreurs courantes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Test Yourself

Fill in the correct subject.

___ on ilus.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Auto
Subject must be Nominative.
Which is the Nominative form? Choix multiple

Select the base form.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: kass
Nominative is the base form.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Kassi on siin.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kass on siin.
Subject must be Nominative.
Reorder the words. Sentence Building

on / auto / see

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: See on auto.
Standard word order.
Pluralize the subject. Conjugation Drill

Kass magab. (Plural)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kassid magavad.
Subject and verb must agree.
Match the subject to the verb. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Koer-haugub
Agreement is key.
Is this true? True False Rule

The Nominative case always has an ending.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
Nominative is the base form.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Kes see on? B: ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: See on Peeter.
Predicate nominative.

Score: /8

Exercices pratiques

8 exercises
Fill in the correct subject.

___ on ilus.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Auto
Subject must be Nominative.
Which is the Nominative form? Choix multiple

Select the base form.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: kass
Nominative is the base form.
Fix the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Kassi on siin.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kass on siin.
Subject must be Nominative.
Reorder the words. Sentence Building

on / auto / see

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: See on auto.
Standard word order.
Pluralize the subject. Conjugation Drill

Kass magab. (Plural)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Kassid magavad.
Subject and verb must agree.
Match the subject to the verb. Match Pairs

Match.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Koer-haugub
Agreement is key.
Is this true? True False Rule

The Nominative case always has an ending.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
Nominative is the base form.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Kes see on? B: ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: See on Peeter.
Predicate nominative.

Score: /8

FAQ (8)

It is the base form of a noun.

No, it is the uninflected form.

For the subject of a sentence.

Nominative is for the subject; Partitive is for the object.

Yes, exactly.

Usually no, objects take other cases.

Yes, it is the standard form.

Add -d to the base form.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

In Other Languages

German high

Nominativ

Estonian has no articles.

French moderate

Sujet

Estonian is case-based.

Spanish moderate

Nominativo

Estonian is pro-drop.

Japanese partial

Shukaku

Estonian uses zero-marking.

Arabic moderate

Marfu

Estonian uses zero-marking.

Chinese low

Subject

Estonian is agglutinative.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Next
Partitive Case (Osastav)

Related Grammar Rules

A1

Partitive Case (Osastav)
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