paaride

Paaride is the genitive plural form of the Estonian noun paar, meaning a pair or couple. It is used in phrases that reference multiple pairs or describe attributes of a group of pairs, and it functions as a grammatical inflection rather than as a standalone lexeme.

In Estonian, the genitive plural suffix -ide marks possession, quantity, or relation for a plural noun. Paaride therefore appears in contexts such as indicating the number of pairs or describing something associated with several pairs. For example, in the phrase paaride arv, meaning “the number of pairs,” the head noun is in the genitive plural. By contrast, when counting pairs with numerals, speakers typically use the genitive singular paari after numerals, as in kaks paari sokke (“two pairs of socks”).

Usage notes:

- Paari is used after numerals to count a specific number of pairs (kaks paari, kolm paari, etc.).

- Paaride is used when referring to the group of pairs as a whole or in phrases where the head noun requires a genitive plural (e.g., paaride arv, paaride vahel).

- The form is common in dictionaries and linguistic discussions as the standard inflected form for the genitive plural of paar.

See also:

- Paar, meaning pair or couple

- Estonian grammar and case system

- Genitive plural suffix -ide

Paaride functions primarily as a grammatical form within Estonian phrases. Its usage centers on expressing relationships with multiple pairs rather than serving as an independent lexical item.