Asetavad

Asetavad is the third-person plural present tense form of the Estonian verb asetama, which means to place, put, or arrange. It is used when referring to actions carried out by multiple subjects and denotes a current, ongoing placement or arrangement.

Morphology and usage notes: In Estonian, verbs are inflected for person and number. Asetavad attaches to the stem aset- (from asetama) with the ending -vad to indicate third-person plural present. The form integrates with objects in the genitive or in the partitive case, depending on the sentence structure and emphasis. Asetama is commonly used for both literal placement (placing objects) and figurative arrangements (setting priorities, plans, or orders).

Common usage: Asetavad can describe physical action, such as placing items, as well as non-physical arrangements. It appears in everyday speech and formal writing. For example, Nad asetavad raamatud laua peale means “They place the books on the table.” Nad asetavad prioriteedid esikohale translates to “They set the priorities to the forefront.”

Etymology and related forms: Asetavad derives from the verb asetama. Related forms include the first-person and second-person forms (asetan, asetad) and other conjugations across tenses and moods, all sharing the same root and the characteristic -vad ending for the third-person plural present tense.

See also: Estonian language, Estonian verb conjugation, Asetama.