Põrandal

Põrandal is an Estonian locative form of the noun põrand, meaning floor. It expresses a location, indicating that something is on the surface of the floor. Grammatically, põrandal is the inessive case form used to describe position without movement.

In everyday Estonian, põrandal is used with verbs that describe state or position, such as olema (to be), istuma (to sit), or lamama (to lie). Examples: Kass on põrandal (The cat is on the floor). Lapsed mängivad põrandal (The children are playing on the floor). If movement toward the surface is implied, the allative form põrandale is used, as in Ma panin kausi põrandale (I put the bowl on the floor).

Forms and related cases include põrand (nominative), põrandal (inessive, on the floor), põrandale (allative, onto/to the floor), and the plural form põrandatel (on the floors). The genitive is põranda (of the floor).

Põrandal is a common, neutral term used across formal and informal contexts to specify location in rooms, buildings, and indoor spaces. It is contrasted with other surface-based locatives such as põrandale (onto the floor) and with non-surface locations expressed by different nouns.

See also: Estonian grammar, locative cases, inessive.