Kvalitatiivsetel

Kvalitatiivsetel is the Estonian adessive plural form of the adjective kvalitatIiivne, meaning qualitative. In Estonian, adjectives agree with the nouns they modify in both number and case, and the adessive plural ending for adjectives is -setel. Therefore, kvalitatIiivsetel is used when describing plural nouns in the adessive case, roughly translating to “on qualitative …” or “with qualitative …” depending on the noun.

Common usage and contexts include academic and research language, where qualitative descriptions, data, or methods are contrasted with quantitative terms. The phrase kvalitatIiivsetel [noun in adessive plural] appears in sentences like kvalitatIiivsetel andmetel (on qualitative data), kvalitatIiivsetel meetoditel (with qualitative methods), or kvalitatIiivsetel teemadel (on qualitative topics). This form helps specify that the attribute applies to multiple items at a location or context indicated by the adessive case.

Notes for learners: the opposite in many contexts is kvantitatiivsetel, the adessive plural form of the adjective kvantitatiivne (quantitative). Both forms follow the same agreement pattern and are common in empirical and comparative writing. As with other Estonian adjectives, the exact form depends on the noun’s number and case, so kvaIitatIiivsetel will appear whenever a plural noun in the adessive case is described as qualitative.