Kartuleid

Kartuleid is the partitive plural form of the Estonian noun kartul, meaning potato. It is used when referring to an indefinite quantity of potatoes, such as in phrases like “ma söön kartuleid” or “ma ostan kartuleid.” In standard Estonian, the partitive plural is used after verbs that describe actions with an undetermined amount or when the object is not specified.

Morphology and related forms: The base word kartul has several case forms. Nominative plural is kartulid (potatoes), partitive plural is kartuleid, and genitive plural is kartulite. The partitive singular is kartulit. These forms help distinguish quantity and definiteness in sentences without changing the core meaning of the noun.

Usage: Kartuleid commonly appears in everyday speech and writing when the exact number of potatoes is not stated. It is typical after verbs such as syödä (eat), osta (buy), keeda (boil), and küpseta (roast). For example, “Ma söön kartuleid” means I am eating potatoes (some potatoes), while “Ma ostan kartuleid” means I am buying potatoes (some potatoes).

Notes: The form is a standard feature of Estonian grammar and does not indicate a specific type of potato. It contrasts with kartulid, the nominative plural used when potatoes are a defined group or being pointed out, as in “Need kartulid on maitsvad.” Understanding kartuleid helps in analyzing sentence structure and object marking in Estonian.

See also: Estonian grammar, partitive case, noun declension.