Meanings
nounabsolutive case (plural absolutive cases)
plural absolutive cases
- grammarcase used to indicate the patient or experiencer of a verb’s action. The absolutive case is used to mark the subject of an intransitive verb, as well as the object of a transitive verb (inasmuch as they are codified in the English nominative-accusative system). Some languages that employ the absolutive case include Abkhaz, Basque, Chechen, Dyirbal, Hindi, Inuktitut, Hiligaynon, and Yup'ik.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 通格, 絕對格 /绝对格
- 通格 (tōnggé)case used to indicate the patient or experiencer of a verb’s action
- 絕對格 /绝对格 (juéduìgé)case used to indicate the patient or experiencer of a verb’s action
Dutch absolutief
- absolutiefcase used to indicate the patient or experiencer of a verb’s action
Finnish absolutiivi
- absolutiivicase used to indicate the patient or experiencer of a verb’s action
French absolutif
- absolutifcase used to indicate the patient or experiencer of a verb’s action
German Absolutiv
- Absolutivcase used to indicate the patient or experiencer of a verb’s action
Hungarian absolutivus
- absolutivuscase used to indicate the patient or experiencer of a verb’s action
Indonesian absolutivus
- absolutivuscase used to indicate the patient or experiencer of a verb’s action
Italian caso assolutivo
- caso assolutivocase used to indicate the patient or experiencer of a verb’s action
Japanese 絶対格
- 絶対格 (zettaikaku)case used to indicate the patient or experiencer of a verb’s action
Korean 절대격
- 절대격 (jeoldaegyeok)case used to indicate the patient or experiencer of a verb’s action
Latin casus absolutivus
- casus absolutivuscase used to indicate the patient or experiencer of a verb’s action
Polish absolutyw
- absolutywcase used to indicate the patient or experiencer of a verb’s action
Portuguese caso absolutivo
- caso absolutivocase used to indicate the patient or experiencer of a verb’s action
Russian абсолю́тный паде́ж, абсолюти́в
- абсолю́тный паде́ж (absoljútnyj padéž)case used to indicate the patient or experiencer of a verb’s action
- абсолюти́в (absoljutív)case used to indicate the patient or experiencer of a verb’s action
Spanish caso absolutivo
- caso absolutivocase used to indicate the patient or experiencer of a verb’s action
Swedish absolutiv
- absolutivcase used to indicate the patient or experiencer of a verb’s action
Cite this entry
APA
absolutive case. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/absolutive%20case
MLA
“absolutive case.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/absolutive%20case. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “absolutive case,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/absolutive%20case.
Source: absolutive case on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.