määrajate

Määrajate is a term used in Estonian grammar to refer to determiners. Determiners are words that precede nouns and provide information about their definiteness, quantity, or possession. They function similarly to articles and demonstratives in other languages.

In Estonian, determiners are not a distinct grammatical category in the same way they are in English. Instead, words that function as determiners often belong to other word classes, such as pronouns or numerals. For example, the demonstrative pronoun see (this) can function as a determiner when placed before a noun, as in "see maja" (this house). Similarly, possessive suffixes on nouns can indicate possession without the need for a separate possessive determiner.

Common words that can function as determiners in Estonian include demonstrative pronouns like see (this), see (that), need (these), and need (those). Personal pronouns in the genitive case, such as minu (my), sinu (your), tema (his/her), our, teie (your plural), and nende (their), can also act as determiners, though often the possessive suffix on the noun is preferred. Numerals, such as üks (one), kaks (two), and kolm (three), also function as determiners when they specify quantity.

The concept of definiteness in Estonian is often conveyed through word order and context rather than specific determiner words. For instance, "maja on suur" (the house is big) implies definiteness, whereas "maja seisab metsas" (a house stands in the forest) suggests indefiniteness. This flexibility in how definiteness is expressed is a characteristic feature of Estonian grammar.