käele

Käele is the allative singular form of the Estonian noun käsi, meaning hand. In Estonian grammar, nouns take a set of case endings to express direction, location, or relation. The allative form käele signals movement toward or onto the hand or toward the owner of the hand in descriptive language. It is one of several directional cases used to convey spatial relations alongside others such as the adessive and inessive.

Morphology and forms include the base word käsi, with the genitive singular käe and the allative singular käele. The allative suffix -le attaches to the noun stem to indicate movement toward the target. Käele is therefore not a separate lexical item but a grammatical form that functions within sentences to express direction.

Usage and context: the allative demonstrates direction toward a recipient or location associated with the hand. It appears in standard Estonian syntax, especially in more formal, written, or archaic contexts, and can be found in grammar descriptions, dictionaries, and literary texts. In everyday speech, Estonian speakers might rely on other constructions or particles to convey similar spatial relations, depending on context.

See also: Estonian language, Estonian grammar, Cases in Estonian, Käsi.

Note: This article describes käele as a grammatical form rather than a standalone noun. It is primarily of interest for understanding Estonian case endings and spatial expression.