nädalate

Nädalate is the Estonian genitive plural form of the noun nädal, meaning weeks or of weeks. It appears in genitive constructions to express possession, association, or duration related to weeks, and it is common in written and formal language. The corresponding nominative plural is nädalad, and the genitive singular is nädala.

Morphology and usage: In Estonian, the genitive plural often ends with -ate, as in nädalate. This form is used when the noun is in the genitive case, for example in phrases that describe a period spanning multiple weeks or when indicating that something belongs to or is measured by weeks. It is frequently found in time expressions and legal or formal prose.

Examples of usage: Töö edenes nädalate jooksul. This means “The work progressed over a period of weeks” or more loosely, “in the course of several weeks.” Projekt kestab nädalate jooksul also conveys a duration that extends across multiple weeks. In both cases, nädalate is the genitive plural form marking the time span.

Related forms: Nädal is a seven-day period; its other forms include nädala (genitive singular), nädalad (nominative plural), and nädalaid (partitive plural). The genitive plural nädalate is used specifically to refer to weeks in a genitive sense, often in phrases describing time, duration, or possession linked to multiple weeks.