Küpsetama

Küpsetama is an Estonian verb meaning to bake, specifically to cook food in an oven using dry heat. It covers making bread, pastries, cakes, and other baked goods, and is commonly used in domestic kitchens, restaurants, and culinary writing. The term distinguishes baking from other heat-based cooking methods such as frying or boiling.

Infinitive and form: The base form küpsetama is the verb's infinitive and is used with objects such as kook või leib (cake or bread). In everyday use, Estonian verbs are conjugated for person and number; for example, ma küpsetan leiba (I bake bread), ta küpsetab kooki (he bakes a cake). The past tense is formed as küpsetas with a subject, and the imperative mood is küpseta.

Etymology and related terms: The infinitive ends with -ama, a regular Estonian infinitive ending. The stem küpset- is used in several related forms, such as küpsetamine (baking, the process).

Usage and context: Küpsetama appears in recipes, cooking instructions, and culinary journalism. It is a standard term for both home baking and professional kitchen work in Estonian.