sõbrade

Note: The standard Estonian genitive plural of the word for friend is sõprade, not sõbrade. The form you asked about, sõbrade, is considered a misspelling in standard Estonian orthography. The article below describes the correct form and its usage.

Sõprade is the genitive plural form of the Estonian noun sõber, meaning 'friend'. It marks possession or association and is used where English would use 'of friends' or 'friends’'. The nominative plural is sõbrad, while the genitive plural is sõprade. This form is common in phrases that express ownership, belonging, or relation to a group of people.

Morphologically, sõprade is formed from the stem sõpr- and the genitive plural suffix -ade. It typically appears after another noun or in positions where possession or association is indicated, for example in noun phrases such as "minu sõprade arv" (the number of my friends) or "sõprade maja" (my friends' house).

Usage notes and examples:

- Minu sõprade arv on suur. (The number of my friends is large.)

- Sõpradega on meeldiv kohtuda. (It is pleasant to meet with friends.)

- Sõprade ring on lai. (The circle of friends is wide.)

In addition, the comitative form sõpradega means 'with friends' and is commonly used to indicate accompaniment.

See also: Estonian grammar, genitive case, comitative construction.