nimisõnu

Nimisõnu (nouns) are a fundamental word class in Estonian grammar. They name people, places, things, or ideas and form the core of noun phrases. In sentences, nimisõnu can function as subjects, objects, or complements. Estonian lacks articles and grammatical gender, so nimisõnu convey number and case information through inflection rather than by modifying articles.

Morphology: Nimisõnu inflect for number (singular and plural) and for case, with 14 grammatical cases used in standard Estonian. The endings depend on the noun’s stem class, and many nouns belong to one of two main declension patterns. Some nouns undergo consonant gradation or vowel alternations in certain cases, while others preserve their stem. Possession is expressed by suffixes attached to the noun, yielding forms that express ownership in Estonian.

Syntax: Adjectives agree with nimisõnu in number and case, and numerals interact with the noun to indicate quantity. Nimisõnu can also form compound nouns by combining with other words. They are the heads of noun phrases and are essential for sentence meaning.

Example: Koer magab. This simple sentence uses a nimisõna as the subject, meaning “The dog sleeps.”