kellel

Kellel is an Estonian interrogative form used to ask about possession or association. It functions as a question word in phrases that mean “who has” or “whose,” and it is commonly used with a form of the verb olema (to have) in present-tense questions. For example, in a sentence like Kellel on see raamat? the speaker asks who possesses the book or to whom the book belongs.

Usage and examples:

- Kellel on see raamat? — Whose book is this? or Who has this book?

- Kellel on auto? — Who has a car?

- Kellel on vaba aeg täna? — Who has free time today?

Grammar and form:

Kellel appears in front of the verb on (has) to introduce an ownership question. It is part of a broader family of Estonian possessive-question forms built from the base interrogative keegi and related forms such as kelle (genitive/possessive) and kellega (with whom). The construction is everyday and versatile, used in formal and informal speech alike. It can be extended with nouns to specify the item whose possession is in question, for example: Kellel on see uus auto? (Whose/new car is this?)

Etymology and relation:

In Estonian, kellel is tied to the possessive-question word group derived from keegi/keele family of pronouns, and it forms along with other case variants to express different kinds of questions about ownership and association. It is one of the most common tools for asking about who has something in Estonian.

See also:

Estonian language, Estonian grammar, possessive constructions, kellega (with whom).