õpetajateks

Õpetajateks is the translative plural form of the Estonian noun õpetaja, meaning a change of status or designation into the role of a teacher for multiple people. It answers the question “milleks?” in the sense of “into what” or “as what,” and is used when speaking about becoming or being assigned the role of teachers. The singular counterpart is õpetajaks.

The form is built from the genitive plural stem õpetajate and the translative suffix -ks, resulting in õpetajateks. It is commonly used with verbs of becoming or designation, especially saama (to become) and muutuma (to change into). For example, after completing education, many graduates become teachers: Pärast ülikooli lõpetamist saavad paljud tudengid õpetajateks. Another example: nad otsustasid muutuda õpetajateks ja osaleda pedagoogilises koolitusprogrammis.

In Estonian, to express acting in the capacity of teachers, one may also use phrases with õpetajatena, which conveys “as teachers” in a broader sense. However, õpetajateks specifically emphasizes a transformation or appointment into the role of teachers, typically in contexts of career paths, training, or formal designation.

See also: õpetaja, translatiiv, Estonian grammar overview.