põhiomadussõna

Põhiomadussõna refers to the root or basic form of an adjective in the Estonian language. Adjectives in Estonian often change their form based on the grammatical case, number, and sometimes gender of the noun they modify. The põhiomadussõna is the dictionary form, the one you would typically find listed in a dictionary. For example, in the phrase "punane auto" (red car), "punane" is the põhiomadussõna. If the noun were plural, "punased autod" (red cars), the adjective "punased" would be a modified form. Similarly, in the genitive case, "punase auto" (of the red car), "punase" is a different grammatical form of the same basic adjective. Understanding the põhiomadussõna is crucial for correctly conjugating adjectives and for recognizing their base meaning. It represents the core descriptive quality without any grammatical inflections. When learning Estonian adjectives, learners are typically introduced to their põhiomadussõna first, before exploring the various case and number variations.