Joonistasid

Joonistasid is the third person plural past tense form of the Estonian verb joonistama, meaning to draw or to illustrate. It translates to “they drew” in English and is used to describe a completed drawing action performed by multiple subjects.

In Estonian, past tense for the third person plural is formed by modifying the verb stem and adding the appropriate ending. Joonistasid is therefore a standard example of this conjugation pattern: the root joonista- combined with the plural past ending -sid. This form can refer to drawings, sketches, or illustrations made by a group or by several people collectively, depending on the surrounding sentence context.

Joonistasid is not a noun and should not be confused with the noun jo͏onistus (drawing, diagram) or joonistused (drawings). When referring to the drawings themselves, Estonian typically uses these noun forms, while joonistasid focuses on the action of creating them, often within narrative or descriptive text.

Common usage examples include: Nad joonistasid pildi kogu õhtu. (They drew the painting all evening.) Nad joonistasid mitu pilti oma näitusel. (They drew several pictures for their exhibition.)

Related forms from the same verb include joоnistama (to draw), joonistan (I draw), joonistsime (we drew), and joonistaja (a drawer/illustrator). Joonistasid remains a grammatical form rather than a standalone word with independent meaning, functioning to indicate a past-tense, third-person plural action of drawing.