Hooldajale

Hooldajale is the Estonian dative form of the noun hooldaja, which means caretaker, caregiver, or custodian. The form is used to indicate the recipient or beneficiary of an action, roughly corresponding to the English phrases “to the caregiver” or “for the caregiver.” It commonly appears in sentences where the caregiver is the indirect object.

Etymology and morphology: The base word hooldaja is built from the verb hooldama (to care) with the agentive suffix -ja, forming a noun meaning someone who cares. The dative suffix -le marks the recipient or beneficiary in a sentence. In Estonian, -le serves to express various recipient-like relations, here indicating to whom an action is directed.

Usage: Hooldajale is used with verbs that take a recipient or indirect object. Examples include: Ma annan kingituse hooldajale. (I give a gift to the caregiver.) Ma kirjutan hooldajale kirja. (I write a letter to the caregiver.) The exact nuance depends on the governing verb and sentence context.

Notes: Hooldajale is one form among many case endings for the noun hooldaja. Other forms include nominative hooldaja, genitive hooldaja, and illative or with-kinto forms such as hooldajaga (with the caregiver) or hooldajast (from the caregiver). The root term is closely related to concepts of care and maintenance in Estonian.

See also: Hooldaja; Estonian grammar; Dative case in Estonian.