Kaastundima

Kaastundima is an Estonian verb meaning to express condolences or to share in another person’s sorrow; to commiserate or to show sympathy. It is formed from the noun kaastunne, meaning condolence or sympathy, with the infinitive suffix -ma. The term is used primarily in contexts of bereavement, misfortune, or collective hardship, and appears in both spoken and written Estonian.

In practice, kaastundima denotes the act of offering emotional support by acknowledging someone’s suffering. It is applicable in personal communication, such as messages of sympathy, as well as in formal statements or public messages issued after tragic events. The act is often described in connection with related terms such as kaastunne (condolence, sympathy) and phrases like kaastunde avaldamine, which refers to the expression of sympathy.

Kaastundima thus functions as a linguistic marker of social support in Estonian, signaling empathy and solidarity in response to others’ difficulties. It is part of a broader set of expressions used to convey care, consolation, and shared emotional experience in Estonian discourse.

See also: Estonian language; kaastunne; expressions of condolence.