Määrsõnafraasid

Määrsõnafraasid, known in English as adverbial phrases, are a type of phrase that functions grammatically like an adverb. In Estonian grammar, a määrsõnafraas consists of a headword, which is typically an adverb or a prepositional phrase, modified by other words. These phrases provide additional information about a verb, adjective, or another adverb, answering questions such as when, where, how, or to what extent an action occurs or a quality exists.

A common structure for an Estonian määrsõnafraas involves a preposition followed by a noun or pronoun in a specific case. For example, "pärast kooli" (after school) or "koos sõpradega" (with friends) function as adverbial phrases indicating time and accompaniment respectively. Other types include phrases that are essentially adverbs with optional modifiers, like "väga hästi" (very well), where "väga" modifies the adverb "hästi". The meaning of the entire phrase is adverbial, contributing to the overall understanding of the sentence by specifying circumstances or manner. They are crucial for adding detail and nuance to communication in Estonian.