Partitiivsingulaar

Partitiivsingulaar, or partitive singular, is the singular form of the partitive case in Estonian grammar and in related Finnic languages. It marks an indefinite or partial quantity of a noun or of a verbal action, signaling non-totality, incompleteness, or an undetermined amount.

The partitive singular is used in contexts where the speaker refers to partial objects, non-count nouns, or quantities that are not fully specified. It often appears in constructions that express partiality or ongoing processes, and it is commonly found in clauses involving negation, distribution of quantity, or measurement with non-finite interpretation. In daily Estonian, many common nouns adopt a distinct partitive singular form when the intended meaning is not a definite, complete quantity.

Morphology of the partitive singular varies by noun class and stem, with a dedicated suffix pattern for many words. As a widely cited example, the noun raamat (book) takes the partitive singular form raamatut, illustrating how the form signals an indefinite or partial object within a sentence. However, not all nouns follow a single uniform ending, and irregular forms exist.

Relation to other cases is functional rather than purely morphological: the partitive singular complements the nominative (subject) and genitive (possession or relation) by encoding indefiniteness or partial quantity. Plural forms exist as well, serving a similar function for multiple items.

Historically, the partitive system derives from Proto-Finnic and has been preserved in Estonian as a core aspect of its case system. The term Partitiivsingulaar is used in linguistic descriptions to denote the singular manifestation of this case. See also Partitive case, Estonian grammar, Finnic languages.