independent; not dependent on someone or something; free from outside control or influence; self-reliant
Building blocks
sõltu- → verb stem from sõltuma (”to depend”)
-matu → negative adjective suffix (”not/un-”) — turns “depend” into “not depending”
So literally sõltumatu means “not depending”—independent.
How to use it:
Here is how you use the word “sõltumatu” ⬇️
What to remember
The thing you are independent of goes in the Elative case (ending -st)
Example
Ajakirjandus peab olema võimust sõltumatu
Literally: “Press must to-be power-from independent”
Idiomatically: “The press must be independent of those in power”
Ajakirjandus – Noun – Nominative Singular: "the press"
peab – Verb – 3rd Person Singular, Present Tense: "must"
olema – Verb – ma-infinitive: "to be"
võimust – Noun – Elative Singular: "from/of power"
sõltumatu – Adjective – Nominative Singular: "independent"