Käändelist

Käändelist, or a declension list, is a reference tool in Estonian grammar that presents the inflected forms of a word across its grammatical cases and numbers. It shows how a word changes to function in different syntactic roles, and is used by learners, lexicographers, and teachers to understand and apply correct endings.

In Estonian, nouns, adjectives and pronouns are declined. A käändelist typically organizes singular and plural forms under the major cases—nominative, genitive, partitive, illative, inessive, elative, allative, adessive, ablative, translative, essive, abessive, and sometimes others—though the exact set can vary by declension class and the individual word. For each case and number, the corresponding inflected form is shown.

Endings in a käändelist depend on the word’s stem, phonology, and declension pattern. Consonant gradation, vowel harmony and other phonological processes influence the forms, so even within a single declension there can be regular patterns and a few irregular forms. Some lists also note alternative spellings or historical forms.

Usage and resources: Käändelist appear in dictionaries, grammar textbooks and language-learning materials, and increasingly in digital tools. They help users learn correct inflection, produce grammatically accurate sentences, and quickly compare how different words behave across cases. Online resources often provide searchable tables and examples to illustrate typical usage.