Eelistavaid

Eelistavaid is an Estonian non-finite verb form derived from the verb eelistama, meaning to prefer or to elect. It represents a present active participle form that is used to describe someone or something that prefers, or that is characterized by preferring. In standard Estonian grammar, eelistavaid functions as an attributive participle, modifying a noun much like an adjective. The form is the plural partitive form of the present active participle and agrees with the noun it modifies in number and case.

In everyday usage, eelistavaid expresses a sense of preference or selection and can be used to talk about objects, properties, or actions that are preferred by speakers or groups. It often appears in noun phrases such as eelistavaid tooteid or eelistavaid omadusi, meaning “preferred products” or “preferred characteristics.” The phrase can appear in sentences describing choices, rankings, or surveys where certain items are noted as preferred.

Because it is a participial form rather than a standalone verb, eelistavaid typically does not occur with a finite auxiliary; it attaches to the noun head of a noun phrase. Its interpretation depends on context and can range from “preferable” in a general sense to “things that are being preferred in a given context.”

See also Estonian grammar; participles; eelistama.