Küllalt

Küllalt is an Estonian adverb that expresses degree or extent, meaning roughly to a sufficient extent, fairly, or quite. It is used to indicate that something is not absolute but falls within a moderate to high range. In many contexts, küllalt helps soften or strengthen a statement without claiming extremes, and it can substitute for words like enough or fairly depending on the sentence.

Grammatical use and examples: Küllalt typically precedes adjectives or adverbs, forming phrases such as küllalt raske (quite difficult), küllalt hea (fairly good), or küllalt palju (quite a lot). It can also occur with negative constructions to express insufficiency, as in See ei ole küllalt hea (This is not good enough). The expression is common in both written and spoken Estonian, and it often appears in formal or neutral registers, though it can also be found in everyday speech.

Variants and synonyms: A closely related form is küllaltki, which carries a stronger emphasis and is widely used to intensify mood or evaluation. In some contexts, other degree words such as üsna, üsnagi, or päris may be used, with slightly different nuance. Küllaltki typically signals a higher degree than küllalt, and külalt may be replaced by more emphatic terms depending on tone and formality.

Etymology and related notes: Küllalt is formed from the base word küll (‘indeed, quite’) plus the suffix -alt, a pattern seen in several Estonian degree adverbs. It is part of the broader system of Estonian adverbs that modify adjectives and verbs to express approximation, extent, or intensity.

See also: Estonian grammar; degree adverbs; küll; küllaltki.