Kolmandatel

Kolmandatel is an Estonian grammatical form of the ordinal numeral kolmas, meaning “the third.” It is the plural adessive case form used when the ordinal modifies a plural noun and denotes location or time, typically answering questions like where or when something occurs.

Morphology and usage

In Estonian, adjectives and ordinal numerals decline for number and case. The nominative plural form is kolmandad, the genitive plural is kolmandate, and the adessive plural form is kolmandatel. This enables phrases such as kolmandatel päevadel (on the third days) or kolmandatel kohtadel (at the third places). The form kolmandatel therefore signals both plurality and the adessive sense of “on/at” in time or space.

Contexts and examples

Kolmandatel is most common in formal writing, lists, or enumerations where reference is made to a third item set in the plural. For instance, kolmandatel päevadel võib projekt edeneda paremini would translate roughly to “on the third days the project may progress better,” though natural phrasing may vary with context. Another example is kolmandatel kohtadel leida parem näide, meaning “to find a better example at the third places.”

Relation to related forms

Kolmandatel is part of a broader declension pattern for ordinal numerals in Estonian. Related forms include kolmandad (nominative plural), kolmandate (genitive plural), and kolmandale/kolmandatel (dative and adessive plural respectively). The word itself is not a separate lexical item beyond the ordinal numeral and its case-inflected forms.

See also

Kolmas, kolmandad, kolmandate. Estonian grammar and numerals.