õigele

Õigele is an Estonian inflected form derived from the adjective õige, which means “correct,” “right,” or “proper.” The form õigele represents the allative singular ending for the adjective, a case used to indicate direction toward something or a target of action. In practice, õigele occurs in phrases where the descriptive word interacts with a noun as the object of movement or focus, similar to how nouns take the allative -le.

Because adjectives normally decline to agree with the nouns they modify, õigele shows how an adjective can appear with an -le ending when its accompanying noun is in a context that requires the allative. This usage is relatively limited in everyday speech and is more common in fixed expressions or metaphorical constructions, such as indicating movement toward what is described as “the right” or “the correct” target. For example, expressions that translate to “to the right path” or “to the right matter” illustrate the directional sense of the allative with an adjective.

Formally, õigee–forms decline like other Estonian adjectives, with -le appearing in the allative singular. The exact use of õigele depends on the surrounding noun and the syntactic role of the phrase, so speakers prefer standard constructions when the allative is not needed.

See also: Estonian grammar, adjectives in Estonian, allative case.