Süüdlased

Süüdlased is the Estonian plural noun referring to the person or persons who have been charged with a crime or are considered to be culpable in a given situation. In a legal context, süüdlane denotes the party facing a criminal accusation (süüdistus) in court. In everyday language, the term can also be used to describe someone regarded as a culprit, though it often carries a stronger negative connotation than neutral terms like “the accused.”

Etymology and usage notes: The word derives from the stem süü, meaning fault or guilt, with the productive suffix -lane forming agent nouns. The phrase emphasizes blame or accountability and has long been used in both formal and journalistic Estonian. Caution is advised: in legal settings, a süüdlane is not yet proven guilty—the determination of guilt rests with the court and a later verdict may declare the person süüdiv or not guilty.

Grammatical notes: Süüdlane is a masculine noun. Declension examples: nominative singular süüdlane; genitive singular süüdlase; partitive singular süüdlast. Nominative plural süüdlased; genitive plural süüdlaste; partitive plural süüdlasi.

See also: süüdistus (charge/accusation), kohus (court), süüdi (guilty), süüdika (indictment in some contexts), kriminaalne õigus (criminal law).

Example: Kohtu ees seisis mitu süüdlast, igaüks süüdistuse all. This illustrates usage in a neutral, descriptive context.