üksikisikus

üksikisikus is a grammatical term used in Estonian to denote the singular number, which is the form used for a single referent. It is contrasted with mitmik, the term for the plural form. In Estonian grammar, number is an essential element of agreement that affects nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and verbs, helping to indicate how many entities are being referred to.

In nouns, the singular form is used when there is one object or person, for example koer (dog) in the singular, versus koerad in the plural. Pronouns also mark number: mina (I) and sina (you, singular) are singular, while me (we) and teie (you, plural) are plural. Adjectives concord with the noun they modify and thus change form to match the singular or plural noun; for instance, väike koer means “a small dog” in the singular, while väikesed koerad means “small dogs” in the plural. Verbs show subject-verb agreement through forms that reflect number (and person); for example, ma näen means “I see,” while me näeme means “we see,” illustrating how the predicate relates to the subject’s number.

In linguistic description and dictionaries, üksikisikus is used to label the forms that correspond to singular number, with mitmik marking the corresponding plural forms. The concept is foundational for understanding how Estonian marks quantity across different parts of speech, and it is a standard term in grammar references and language-learning materials.

See also: Estonian grammar, number (linguistics), singular, mitmik, isik.