Lükkavad

Lükkavad is an Estonian verb form. It is the third-person plural present indicative of the verb lükkama, meaning "to push" or "to shove." This finite form is used when describing actions carried out by multiple subjects in the present time.

In Estonian, present tense forms for third-person plural typically attach a suffix to the verb stem. For lükkama, the stem lükka- combines with the present-tense ending -vad to produce lükkavad. The form thus marks multiple agents performing the action currently.

Usage of lükkavad appears in everyday speech and writing to describe collective pushing actions. It can describe physical pushing, such as objects being moved, or more loosely, figurative pushing in a social or procedural sense when the context makes the subject clear. The aspect is imperfective, and Estonian does not grammatically encode a continuous tense, so present actions are usually expressed with simple present forms like lükkavad rather than a distinct progressive form.

Example sentences:

- Nad lükkavad laua kõvale kohale. They are pushing the table to a firm place.

- Lugupeetavad liikmed lükkavad küsimuse edasi arutamiseks. The valued members are pushing the issue forward for discussion.

Etymology and related forms: Lükkavad derives from the infinitive lükka/ lükkama and the standard Estonian present-tense suffix -vad for third-person plural. The related forms include lõikavad (they cut), seavad (they place), illustrating the regular verb-conjugation pattern in Estonian.

See also: Estonian grammar, Estonian verbs, present indicative, verb conjugation.