nelikümmend

Nelikümmend is the Estonian cardinal numeral for the value forty. It is formed by combining the base numeral for four, neli, with the tens suffix kümend, following a common pattern for Estonian tens. The word is written as a single form, nelikümmend, and is used in ordinary counting as well as in larger numbers when expressing quantities and measurements that involve tens.

In compound numbers, forty functions as the tens base. For numbers from 41 to 49, Estonian forms are created by appending the units to nelikümmend with a space, for example nelikümmend üks (41), nelikümmend kaks (42), and so on. This mirrors the broader Estonian system of tens formed with the -kümend suffix, where the tens part precedes the units.

Nelikümmend appears in written and spoken Estonian in contexts such as counting, dates, measurements, and numerical data. It is part of the standard number word inventory used in education, media, and everyday communication. The form is distinct from other tens forms, particularly those for twenty and thirty, and it remains stable across different grammatical cases in simple numerical expressions. Overall, nelikümmend is a straightforward component of Estonian numerals, serving as the forty in the sequence of tens.