Paaridele

Paaridele is an Estonian linguistic term used to describe the plural dative/allative form of the noun paar, meaning pair or couple. It translates roughly as “to the couples” or “for the couples” and is used when an action is directed toward more than one couple or when something is intended for couples.

In practice, paaridele marks recipients or beneficiaries in sentences. For example: Ma annan kingituse paaridele. Translation: I give a gift to the couples. Need materjalid on mõeldud paaridele. Translation: These materials are intended for couples. The form is typically used with verbs of giving, sending, addressing, or providing services.

Paaridele exists alongside other inflected forms of paar, such as the singular dative paari and the genitive plural paaride. The plural allative/dative form helps distinguish the recipient group explicitly as multiple couples, rather than a single couple or a generic plural.

Usage considerations include clarity and agreement with surrounding words, as with other Estonian inflections. In standard prose, paaridele is most common in contexts involving events, gifts, invitations, or services targeted at couples as a group, such as wedding-related communications or couple-oriented programs.

See also: Estonian grammar, Allative and dative case in Estonian, Noun inflection in Estonian.