Kaaluvad

Kaaluvad is the present tense, third-person plural form of the Estonian verb kaaluma. It means “they weigh” in the literal sense (using scales to determine weight) and can also mean “they weigh up” or “they consider” in a figurative sense. The root kaal is tied to weight and balance, and kaaluma is the standard verb used for both physical measurement and evaluating options.

In grammar, kaaluma is a transitive verb, taking a direct object when used in the literal sense (for example, weighing products or samples) and often used with objects referring to things being weighed or evaluated. The base conjugation for the present tense is: ma kaalun, sa kaalud, ta kaalub, me kaalume, te kaalute, nad kaaluvad. Therefore kaaluvad specifically marks a plural subject performing the action.

Usage and examples vary by sense. Literally: Nad kaaluvad proove laboratooriumis. (They weigh the samples in the laboratory.) Figuratively: Nad kaaluvad oma võimalusi enne otsuse tegemist. (They weigh up their options before making a decision.) The term is common in everyday Estonian, commerce, science, and discourse about decision-making.

Etymology and related forms: kaaluma derives from the noun kaal (weight) and the Estonian -uma verb formation pattern. Related nouns include kaal and kaalu; related verbs include kaaluda (to weigh up) and kaalumine (weighing). Kaaluvad, as a form, demonstrates the language’s regular handling of person and number in Estonian verb conjugation.