Lähtutakse

Lähtutakse is an Estonian verb form used to express that an action or judgement is made on the basis of something, or that people proceed from a particular premise. Grammatically it is the present passive/impersonal form derived from the verb lähtuma, and is typically translated into English as “one proceeds from,” “it is based on,” or “people start from.”

The form is common in formal, bureaucratic and academic language where an impersonal tone is preferred: for example, Sotsiaalpoliitikas lähtutakse põhimõttest X (“Social policy is based on principle X”) or Kui sellest lähtutakse, on plaan realistlik (“If one proceeds from that, the plan is realistic”). It can indicate factual starting points, assumptions, or methodological bases.

Morphologically, lähtutakse is built from the verb stem plus the Estonian passive/impersonal suffix -takse. Related forms include the infinitive lähtuma and the adverbial participle lähtudes (“starting from,” “based on”), which are used to form related constructions. Its usage emphasizes objectivity and general applicability, making it a frequent choice in legal texts, policy documents and scientific writing.