No. 781 in Estonian
the
The Estonian language does not have a direct equivalent for the English word "the," as it does not use definite articles.
In a sentence
Ma nägin seda koera.
I saw the dog.
Here, 'seda' corresponds to 'the' and is used as the definite article to specify the object (dog) in the sentence.
Kas sul on pliiats? Mul on vaja seda.
Do you have a pencil? I need the pencil.
Here, 'seda' is used to refer back to a specific object previously mentioned or understood from the context (the pencil mentioned in the question).
The õpetaja ütles, et klass on täna vaba.
'The teacher said the class is free today.'
Estonian generally doesn’t use a direct equivalent of 'the', but in this English translation, 'the' specifies the subject (teacher). The definite form is implied in Estonian grammar.
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