õlidele

Õlidele is the Estonian allative plural form of the noun õli (oil). The allative case marks direction toward something, and in Estonian this is usually expressed with the suffix -le. For the noun õli, the allative plural form is õlidele, meaning “to the oils.” The form appears in grammars and dictionaries and can occur in written text, especially when listing several oils or describing actions directed toward multiple oils.

Morphology and formation: Estonian nouns inflect for number and case. The allative plural is formed by applying the allative suffix to the appropriate plural stem. In the case of õli, this yields õlidele. This pattern reflects the broader Estonian rule that the allative suffix -le attaches to the noun stem, with pluralization preceding the addition of the suffix.

Usage: The phrase õlidele translates to “to the oils” and is used when a sentence acts toward more than one oil, or when enumerating oils in a list, label text, or recipe notes. It is more common in written language or technical contexts than in casual speech, where speakers might rephrase to avoid a rare allative plural form.

See also: Estonian grammar, allative case, noun inflection.