Töötajale

Töötajale is the dative singular form of the Estonian noun töötaja, meaning an employee. It is used to indicate the recipient or beneficiary of an action, roughly translating to “to the employee” or “for the employee” in English. In Estonian, the dative case is commonly used for indirect objects, with the form ending -le in the singular.

Grammatical notes: The base word töötaja comes from töö (work) with the agent noun suffix -taja. The dative singular form is töötajale, while the dative plural is töötajatele. This case marks the recipient of verbs such as giving, sending, or paying, and can also appear with prepositional phrases describing whom something is directed to or for.

Usage and context: Töötajale appears frequently in workplace communications, human resources documents, payroll notices, and internal memos to denote who is the beneficiary or target of a statement, benefit, or action. For example, it can be used with verbs like anda (to give), maksta (to pay), saata (to send), or esitada (to present). It also occurs in phrases describing recipient-focused information, such as “töötajale suunatud teave” (information directed to the employee).

Examples:

- Ma annan raamatu töötajale. (I am giving a book to the employee.)

- Kõigile töötajatele makstakse lisatasu. (A bonus is paid to all employees.)

- Teade on suunatud töötajale. (The notice is directed to the employee.)

Töötajale thus functions as a core element in Estonian syntax for indicating the person who receives or benefits from an action within formal and informal text.