omistusomadussõnad

Omistusomadussõnad, also known as possessive adjectives or possessive determiners, are a grammatical category in Estonian that indicate ownership or belonging. They are used to show whose or what something is. Unlike possessive pronouns, which stand alone and replace a noun phrase, possessive adjectives modify a noun.

In Estonian, the most common omistusomadussõnad are mina (I), sina (you singular), tema (he/she/it), meie (we), teie (you plural), and nemad (they). When used as possessive adjectives, they decline to agree in case, number, and sometimes gender with the noun they modify. The form of the possessive adjective changes depending on the case of the noun. For example, 'minu' (my) is the nominative form, while 'minu' can also be used in other cases depending on the context of the sentence, though specific case endings are applied to the possessive adjective itself.

These words are crucial for conveying possession clearly in Estonian sentences. They precede the noun they modify and help to specify the relationship between the possessor and the possessed item. For instance, 'minu maja' means 'my house', where 'minu' is the possessive adjective indicating that the house belongs to 'me'. Similarly, 'tema raamat' translates to 'his/her book'. The correct usage of omistusomadussõnad is essential for grammatically correct and understandable Estonian.