partitiiv

Partitiiv, or the partitive, is a grammatical category used in several languages to mark partial objects, indefinite quantities, or non‑completion of an action. It is especially prominent in Finnish and Estonian grammar, where the form of a noun and, in some cases, the verb are affected by this case. The name reflects its function of dividing a whole into a part.

In Finnish, the partitiivi marks objects that are not treated as a single whole, such as mass nouns or quantities. It also appears after negated verbs, where it signals that the action is not completed. The partitiivi typically ends in -a/-ä or -ta/-tä, with many irregular or consonant-vowel changes. Examples: Juon vettä. (I drink water.) En juo maitoa. (I do not drink milk.) Ostan kolme omenaa. (I buy three apples.) With numerals, 2–4 generally take the partitiivi singular, while 5 or more take the partitiivi plural.

In Estonian, the partitiiv is one of the standard cases. It marks objects with incomplete or indefinite status and is commonly used after negation. Examples: Ma joon piima. (I drink milk.) Ma ei söö kooki. (I do not eat cake.)

Across languages, the partitiiv contrasts with cases that mark totality or definiteness and is a characteristic feature of Finnic grammar. For learners, its main functions are to express partial or non-completed objects and to mark indefiniteness in negated clauses.