kolm

Kolm is the Estonian word for the cardinal number three. It is used in counting and in expressions of quantity, for example kolm inimest (three people) or kolm päeva (three days). In standard Estonian, the numeral precedes the noun; the noun inflects for case, while the numeral itself remains invariable in gender and number. Kolm is a basic numeral in education and mathematics and appears in everyday speech, literature, and media.

Kolm comes from the Finnic branch of the Uralic language family. It has cognates in related Finnic languages, notably Finnish kolme. The Estonian form reflects the common Finnic root for the digit three. The word has been in continuous use in Estonian since early written and spoken tradition.