kümnete

Kümnete is a term used in Estonian to express a quantity in the tens, roughly equivalent to the English phrase "tens of." It is formed from the numeral kümme (ten) and is used before a noun in a form that denotes plural quantities, typically with the noun in its genitive plural. The construction signals that the exact number is not specified but falls within a relatively large, approximate range.

In usage, kümnete is common in journalism, statistics, reports, and everyday speech when exact counts are unnecessary or unavailable. It often appears with nouns such as inimeste (people), miljonite eurode (millions of euros), or other large-count nouns. The phrase functions as a quantifier that precedes the noun and sets a scale rather than a precise figure.

Examples may include:

- Kümnete inimeste seas toimus protest. (There was a protest among tens of people.)

- Projekti maksumus oli kümnete miljonite eurode suurune. (The project cost was in the tens of millions of euros.)

Kümnete is related to other numerically derived quantifiers in Estonian, such as sadu (hundreds) and tuhanded (thousands), which similarly express approximate large quantities. Its use helps convey scale while avoiding exact numbers, which can be useful in summaries, forecasts, or non-detailed descriptions.

See also: Estonian numerals, cardinal numbers, grammar of counting, tuhanded, sajad.