kõva

See also: kova and kóva

Estonian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *kova. Cognates include Finnish, Ingrian, Karelian, Livvi, Ludian, and Veps kova, Votic kõva and Livonian kõvā.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈkɤvɑ/, [ˈkɤvɑ]
Audio: (file)
Rhymes: -ɤvɑ
Hyphenation: kõ‧va

Adjective

kõva (genitive kõva, partitive kõva, comparative kõvem, superlative kõige kõvem or kõvim)

hard, solid, rigid (dense in composition, resistant to pressure; in a non-liquid, non-gaseous state)
Antonym: pehme

kõva metall ― hard metal

kõva kui kivi ― hard as a rock

Magma kattus kõva koorikuga. ― The magma was covered with a hard crust.

Malm on kõva ja rabe. ― Cast iron is hard and brittle.

kõva kattega maantee ― paved road (literally, “with a hard cover […] ”)

Teras on kõvem kui raud. ― Steel is harder than iron.

Tamm on kõvem puu kui kask. ― An oak is a harder tree than a birch.

kõvade kaantega raamat ― a hardcover book

Kartulid on kõvad, tuleb veel keeta. ― The potatoes are hard, they still need to be boiled.

kõvaks keedetud muna ― a hard-boiled egg

kõva suulagi ― hard palate

kõva habe ― coarse beard (= with stiff hairs, difficult to trim)
- (Can we date this quote?), Paul Kuusberg, (Please provide the book title or journal name):
  Tee muutus ikka liivasemaks ja pehmemaks ning lõpuks kadus kõva põhi täiesti. Jalad vajusid sügavale liiva.
  The path became more and more sandy and soft and eventually the hard ground disappeared completely. The feet sank deep into the sand.
1. (of items of clothing) stiff, tough, rigid
  kõva riie ― stiff fabric
  
  Märjad riided külmusid kõvaks. ― Wet clothes froze solid.
2. hard, stiff and uncomfortable (to sit or lie down in)
  Voodi oli kõva. ― The bed was hard.
  
  Konutas ooteruumi kõval pingil. ― (S)he was sitting on a hard bench in the waiting room.
  
  kõva mööbel ― hard furniture (= without padding or covering)
3. (vulgar) erect (penis)
4. (pornography) hard, hardcore
  kõva porno ― hardcore pornography
firm, durable, strong, tough
Antonym: nõrk

Karjamaal on kõva aed ümber. ― The pasture has a firm fence around it.

Katus on veel kõva ega lase vihma läbi. ― The roof is still durable and does not let the rain through.

Kapil oli kõva lukk, seda ei suudetud lahti murda. ― The cupboard had a firm lock, it could not be broken.

kõvad närvid ― a strong stomach (literally, “strong nerves”)

Klaasipuhujal peavad olema kõvad kopsud. ― A glassblower must have strong lungs.
- 1933, A. H. Tammsaare, chapter II, in Tõde ja õigus V [Truth and Justice] (Tõde ja õigus; V), 2nd edition, Tartu: Noor-Eesti, published 1936, →ISBN, pages 21–22:
  „Kas tõmbad iseoma pikad säärikud jalga?“ küsis isa. „Esiteks pidin küll, aga nüüd mõtlesin ümber. Minu omad peavad küll hästi vett, aga risu ja orkide vastu pole nad kuigi kõvad,“ vastas Indrek.
  "Are you going to put on your own long boots?" his father asked. "At first I was, but now I've changed my mind. Mine hold water well, but they're not very strong against twigs and thistles," Indrek replied.
- 1894, Juhan Liiv, chapter 8, in Friedebert Tuglas, editor, Vari [Shadow] (Kogutud teoksed; 2)‎^[1], 3rd edition, Tartu: Noor-Eesti, published 1923, →ISBN, page 81:
  „Ma lähen, toon veel puid tulle,“ ütles endine noor poiss, et selle teenistuse eest kuulamise luba saada, sest vanad mehed sundisid alaealisi magama, et nad raskele tööle kõvemad oleksid.
  "I'm going to go get some more firewood," said the former young boy, in order to get permission to listen in for this service, because the old men were forcing the minors to sleep to make them tougher for the hard work.
tough, strong, powerful
kõva mees ― a tough guy

kõva kondiga metsatööline ― a strong forestry worker (literally, “ […] with a tough bone”)
1. forceful, done with force
  kõva hoop vastu ust ― a powerful hit against the door
  
  Äigas poisile kõva võmmu kuklasse. ― (S)he took a hard swing at the back of the boy's head.
firm, tough, strong, steadfast, steady
kõva majanduslik põhi ― a firm economic base

Tal on kõrgemal pool kõva seljatagune. ― (S)he has his/her back steadily covered with the higher-ups.

Tal on kõva usk, et olukord peagi muutub. ― (S)he has a firm belief that things will soon change.

Asutuses valitseb kõva kord. ― The institution runs a tight ship.

Majandi juhtimisel oleks vaja kõvemat kätt. ― You need somebody stronger to manage the holding. (literally, “ […] a stronger hand […] ”)

See oli kemplemine kahe kõva vastase vahel. ― It was a scuffle between two tough opponents.
severe, strict, harsh, stern, austere, heavy
Selle eest on kõva karistus. ― There is a severe punishment for this.

Ta sai kõva peapesu. ― (S)he got a stern talking-to.

Ütlesin paar kõva sõna. ― I said a few strong words (= swear words).

kõva kriitika ― harsh criticism

kõva keeld ― a strict ban

Kõik teed olid kõva valve all. ― All roads were under heavy surveillance.
(chiefly informal) good, high-quality, remarkable
Ta sai kõva koolihariduse. ― (S)he got a good education.

Meie kool kuulub kõvemate keskkoolide hulka. ― Our school is one of the best high schools.

See oli kõva pidu. ― That was a hell of a party.

Ta tegi kõva karjääri. ― (S)he had a successful career.

Töömees vajab kõvemat toitu. ― A worker needs something heavier to eat.

kõva uni ― heavy sleep
1. (of a person, positive) avid, outstanding, good at a specific field
  Saima on kõva tööinimene. ― Saima is a hard worker.
  
  Ta on kõva ujuja. ― (S)he's a good swimmer.
  
  Ta on bioloogias kõva. ― (S)he's a biology whiz.
  
  Juba koolis olin kõva matemaatik. ― I was already a good mathematician at school.
  
  Ta on kõva meistrimees. ― He is a masterful craftsman.
  
  Ta on igati kõva mees omal alal. ― He's a tough guy in his field.
2. (of a person, negative) inveterate, heavy, tough
  Poiss on kõva kakleja. ― The boy is a tough fighter.
  
  Tüdruk on kõva kurameerija. ― The girl is very loose (= a prostitute).
  
  Mees on kõva joodik. ― The man is a heavy drinker.
  
  Vanamees on kõva ärimees ja hangeldaja. ― The old man is a tough businessman and a wheeler-dealer.
  
  Kes see nii kõva norskaja on? ― Who's that snoring so loud? (literally, “Who is such a heavy snorer?”)
(informal) considerable, sizeable, hefty, decent, proper
kõva peotäis ― a solid handful

kõva õhtusöök ― a heavy dinner

Toiduportsjonid olid kõvad. ― The food portions were hefty.

Tänavu oli kõva räimesaak. ― It was a decent herring season this year.

Rüüpas pudelist kõva sõõmu. ― (S)he took a considerable swig from the bottle.

Eile oli kõva võtmine. ― Yesterday was a heavy drinking day.
1. Emphasizes the (rather large) amount of something.
  Sinna on kõva kilomeeter maad. ― It's a good kilometre to get there.
  
  Pudeleid on oma kõva tosin. ― There are about a dozen bottles.
  
  Ettekanne kestis kõva pool tundi. ― The presentation lasted a solid half hour.
  
  Kõva kolmandik teed on veel käimata. ― A good third of the way is still to go.
  
  Ta on minust kõva kümme aastat noorem. ― (S)he's a good ten years younger than me.
2. (of money) big, large, hefty
  kõva raha ― big money
  
  Tal on kõva sissetulek. ― (S)he has a large income.
  
  Teenis kõva kopika. ― (S)he earned a pretty penny
  
  Võttis laenu pealt kõva protsendi. ― (S)he took a hefty percentage on the loan.
  
  Kaup on hea, kuid hind kõva. ― The product is good, but the price is steep.
(informal) hard, big, great, fierce, acute, intense, vehement, incessant
kõva koduigatsus ― great homesickness

Tal on rahva hulgas kõva poolehoid. ― (S)he has a lot of support among the people.

kõva peavalu, köha, palavik ― a strong headache, cough, high fever

Mul on kõva kahtlus, kas see ikka nii on. ― I strongly doubt that's the case.

Sellest tuleb kõva pahandus. ― This will be a big trouble.

Tal oli küll kõva kannatus, kuid lõpuks sai ka see otsa. ― (S)he had a lot of patience, but in the end it ran out.

kõva kähmlus ― a big fight

Vaenlane avaldas kõva vastupanu. ― The enemy showed great resistance.

Paat sai kohe alguses kõva hoo sisse. ― The boat took off quickly right from the start.

Ta tuli kõva jooksuga. ― (S)he came running fast.

kõva töö ― hard work

Bussipeatusse on veerand tundi kõva astumist. ― It's an intense quarter of an hour's walk to the bus stop.

Enne valimisi tehti kõva kampaaniat. ― There was a lot of campaigning before the elections.

Ta on kõva isamaalane. ― (S)he's a vehement nationalist.

Käivad kõvad jutud. ― There's incessant rumours going around.
1. (of weather) extreme, severe
  kõva pakane ― severe cold
  
  kõva tuul ― strong wind
  
  Väljas valitses kõva talv. ― It was harsh winter outside.
  
  Kõva äike tegi palju kahju. ― Extreme thunderstorms did a lot of damage.
(informal, especially alcoholic beverages) strong, hard
kõva puskar ― strong moonshine

See naps on hirmus kõva. ― This booze is really hard.

See oli kõva tubakas. ― That was hard tobacco.

Võtsin kõva tableti sisse. ― I took a strong pill.

kõva kõrbelehk ― a strong burning smell
(informal) strong, powerful
Kohtualusel oli kõva alibi. ― The defendant had a strong alibi.

Tal on kõvad kaardid peos. ― (S)he's got a strong hand (of cards).
loud (voice, noise, sound)
kõva kisa ― hue and cry

Käis kõva pauk. ― A loud bang went off.

Mehed rääkisid kõva häälega. ― The men were talking loudly.
(sometimes derogatory) with poor hearing or memory
kõva kuulmisega ― hard of hearing

Poisil on kõva pea. ― The boy is a bit dense. (literally, “ […] has a hard head.”)
(informal, of water) hard (high on dissolved calcium and other minerals)
(informal, phonetics) hard, fortis, voiceless (stops)
kõva p, t, k ― hard p, t, k (as opposed to "soft" b, d, g)
(finance) unregulated, market-rate, unsubsidized, hard
kõva valuuta ― hard currency

kõva raha ― unsubsidized financing

Declension

Declension of kõva (ÕS type 17u/sõna, no gradation)
		singular	plural
nominative		kõva	kõvad
accusative	nom.	kõva
accusative	gen.	kõva
genitive		kõva	kõvade
partitive		kõva	kõvu kõvasid
illative		kõvva kõvasse	kõvadesse kõvusse
inessive		kõvas	kõvades kõvus
elative		kõvast	kõvadest kõvust
allative		kõvale	kõvadele kõvule
adessive		kõval	kõvadel kõvul
ablative		kõvalt	kõvadelt kõvult
translative		kõvaks	kõvadeks kõvuks
terminative		kõvani	kõvadeni
essive		kõvana	kõvadena
abessive		kõvata	kõvadeta
comitative		kõvaga	kõvadega

Derived terms

adverbs

kõvasti

nouns

phrases and phrasal verbs

verbs

Compounds

References

kõva in Sõnaveeb (Eesti Keele Instituut)
“kõva”, in [EKSS] Eesti keele seletav sõnaraamat [Descriptive Dictionary of the Estonian Language] (in Estonian) (online version), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2009

Võro

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *kova.

Adjective

kõva (genitive kõva, partitive kõvva)

hard (not soft)
strict
harsh

Inflection

Inflection of kõva

	singular	plural
nominative	kõva	kõvaq
accusative	kõva	kõvaq
genitive	kõva	kõvvo
partitive	kõvva	kõvvo
illative	kõvva	kõvvo kõvvohe
inessive	kõvan kõvahn	kõvon kõvvon kõvohn kõvvohn
elative	kõvast	kõvost kõvvost
allative	kõvalõ	kõvolõ kõvvolõ
adessive	kõval	kõvol kõvvol
ablative	kõvalt	kõvolt kõvvolt
translative	kõvas	kõvos kõvvos
terminative	kõvaniq	kõvoniq kõvvoniq
abessive	kõvaldaq	kõvoldaq kõvvoldaq
comitative	kõvagaq	kõvvogaq

Votic

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *kova.

Pronunciation

(Luutsa, Liivtšülä) IPA^(key): /ˈkɤvɑ/, [ˈkɤvɑ]
Rhymes: -ɤvɑ
Hyphenation: kõ‧va

Adjective

kõva (comparative kõvapi, superlative kõikka kõvapi)

Inflection

Declension of kõva (type V/poikõ, no gradation)
	singular	plural
nominative	kõva	kõvad
genitive	kõva	kõvijõ, kõvii
partitive	kõvva	kõviitõ, kõvii
illative	kõvvasõ, kõvva	kõviisõ
inessive	kõvaz	kõviiz
elative	kõvassõ	kõviissõ
allative	kõvalõ	kõviilõ
adessive	kõvallõ	kõviillõ
ablative	kõvaltõ	kõviiltõ
translative	kõvassi	kõviissi
^) the accusative* corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl) ^) the terminative** is formed by adding the suffix -ssaa to the short illative (sg) or the genitive. ^*) the comitative** is formed by adding the suffix -ka to the genitive.

References

Hallap, V., Adler, E., Grünberg, S., Leppik, M. (2012) Vadja keele sõnaraamat [A dictionary of the Votic language], 2nd edition, Tallinn

kõva

Contents

Estonian

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Declension

Derived terms

Compounds

References

Võro

Etymology

Adjective

Inflection

Votic

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Inflection

References

Navigation menu

kõva

Estonian

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Declension

Derived terms

Compounds

References

Võro

Etymology

Adjective

Inflection

Votic

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Inflection

References

Navigation menu

Search