mõnes

Mõnes is the inessive singular form of the Estonian indefinite determiner mõni, meaning "in some" or "in a number of." It is used to refer to a subset within a larger group without specifying which items are included. The form accompanies a noun in the inessive case, as in mõnes kohas (“in some places”), mõnes linnas (“in some towns”) or mõnes majas (“in some houses”).

Grammatically, mõnes functions as a determiner that signals indefiniteness. The following noun is declined in the inessive case (typically ending in -as, -as with a consonant, etc.), and the overall phrase points to not all members of the category, but a portion of it. It can be contrasted with täielik (“all”) or mõni (“some” in more general terms, often without the spatial sense). In addition to its literal use, mõnes appears in fixed expressions such as mõnes mõttes, meaning “in a sense” or “in some respects.”

Origin and usage notes: mõnes is formed by adding the inessive suffix -s to mõni. The construction is common in both formal and colloquial Estonian and is versatile for discussing partial occurrences, regional variations, or unspecified instances within a broader context.

Examples:

- Mõnes kohas on tänavavalgustus katkatustel, teistes mitte. (In some places street lighting is blocked/irregular.)

- Mõnes linnas korraldatakse suvefestivalid igal aastal. (In some towns summer festivals are organized every year.)

- Mõnes majas on küte katki. (In some houses the heating is broken.)

- Ta ütles mõnes mõttes, et see on õige lahendus. (He said, in some sense, that it is the right solution.)