väikest

Väikest is the partitive singular form of the Estonian adjective väike, meaning small or little. It is not a separate word with its own meaning, but a grammatical inflection used when the noun it modifies is in the partitive case.

In Estonian, adjectives agree with the noun in case, number, and definiteness. When the noun is in the partitive singular, the adjective takes the form väikest. For example: ma söön väikest kooki (I am eating a small piece of cake), ta ostis väikest leiba (he bought some bread). The corresponding forms in other cases are väike (nominative singular) and väikese (genitive singular).

Väikest is typically used to express an indefinite amount or a non-specific portion of the noun, rather than a definite quantity. It can describe both concrete items and abstract quantities, such as time or impressions, depending on the sentence. Common collocations include smaller-scale or partial items like väikest kooki, väikest leiba, and, in contexts of time or feelings, phrases like väikest rõõmu.

Notes on grammar: väikest is specifically the partitive singular form; the nominative singular is väike, and the genitive singular is väikese. The form may appear with different nouns across sentences, reflecting how Estonian marks indefiniteness and partial quantity through case endings rather than separate words.