Sellele

Sellele is a grammatical form in the Estonian language. It represents the allative form of the demonstrative pronoun see, a word that means “this” or “that.” The combination selle- and the suffix -le yields a pronoun form used to indicate direction toward a referent or recipient, roughly translating to “to this” or “to that” in English.

In Estonian grammar, pronouns decline through cases to express different relations in a sentence. The form sellele specifically signals movement toward or toward the benefit of a referred entity, rather than possession or subject identification. It is one of several demonstrative forms that help indicate spatial or discourse-related relationships in a sentence.

Usage of sellele is common in contexts involving giving, showing, transferring, or directing action toward an object or person already identified in conversation. Its interpretation depends on the surrounding verb and discourse context, as is typical for allative pronouns in Estonian.

Phonology and morphology underpinning sellele reflect the broader Finno-Ugric heritage of Estonian, where demonstratives combine with case-like suffixes to convey nuanced meanings of direction and reference. While sellele may appear more frequently in formal or written registers, it also occurs in everyday speech, especially in constructions that emphasize recipient or destination.

See also: Estonian grammar, demonstratives, allative case, pronoun declension.