Võrdluskonstruktsioonid

Võrdluskonstruktsioonid are grammatical structures used in Estonian to express comparisons. These constructions allow speakers and writers to highlight similarities or differences between two or more entities. The most common type of comparison involves using words like "nagu" (as, like) or "kui" (than, as). For instance, "Ta on nii tark kui tema isa" translates to "He is as smart as his father," employing the "nii... kui" structure to indicate equality. Alternatively, "See raamat on huvitavam kui eelmine" means "This book is more interesting than the previous one," using "kui" to express a difference in degree.

Another significant type of comparison involves the use of the genitive case to indicate a comparison. For example, "Tema hääl on ilusam minu omast" can be understood as "Her voice is more beautiful than mine," where "minu omast" is in the genitive. This construction implicitly uses the idea of comparison without an explicit conjunction. Comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs also play a crucial role in expressing degrees of comparison. The comparative form, often ending in "-m" (e.g., suurem - bigger), and the superlative form, often with a prefix "kõige-" (e.g., kõige suurem - biggest), are fundamental to constructing comparative sentences in Estonian. These structures are essential for nuanced expression and detailed description.