käändekaardile

Käändekaart, or käändekaart (declension chart), is a resource used in Estonian grammar that shows how words change form across grammatical cases and numbers. It is commonly used in language learning, dictionaries, and grammar guides to help learners memorize endings and patterns for nouns, adjectives, and pronouns. The form käändekaardile is the allative (to the declension chart) form of the word and may appear in navigation labels or headings on Estonian-language sites and texts.

A typical käändekaart lists the major grammatical cases in rows and the number distinctions (singular and often plural) in columns. It may also indicate stem changes, consonant gradation, vowel harmony, and other morphophonemic adjustments that occur in different forms. Some charts separate nouns by declension type or noun class and may include notes for irregular or borrowed words. In addition to nouns, many charts provide example forms for adjectives and pronouns to illustrate agreement and inflection across the system.

Using a declension chart involves locating the base form of a word (usually its nominative singular) and applying the corresponding endings for each case and number. Learners use the chart to produce correct forms in sentences, to understand how meaning shifts with case, and to verify correctness when consulting dictionaries or grammar references. Because Estonian has a rich inflection system with regular and irregular patterns, charts may differ slightly between sources, but the core purpose remains the same: to provide a compact reference for word forms across the case system.