sobivasse

Sobivasse is the illative singular form of the Estonian adjective sobiv, meaning "suitable" or "appropriate." In Estonian, adjectives agree with the nouns they modify in number and case, and sobivasse appears specifically when the modified noun is in the illative (direction toward into something). The form is used in phrases to denote moving toward or entering something that is considered suitable.

Morphology and usage: The illative suffix for adjectives is formed in a way that yields sobivasse when attached to the stem sobiv-. This form is employed in prepositional phrases where the noun is in the illative case, typically translating to "to a suitable …" in English. In other contexts, the adjective sobiv declines according to the usual Estonian adjective paradigm, such as sobiv (nominative), sobivat (partitive), and corresponding forms in other cases and numbers.

Examples:

- Ta läks sobivasse kohta. (He went to a suitable place.)

- Me otsisime sobivasse töökohta. (We were looking for a suitable workplace.)

Notes: Sobivasse is a descriptive grammatical form used mainly in formal or careful prose. In everyday speech, speakers may opt for alternative constructions depending on the noun and context, such as sobivat kohta or sobivas kohas, to convey related meanings without using the illative adjective form.

See also: Estonian grammar, Illative case, Adjective declension.