Mõistab

Mõistab is the third-person singular present tense form of the Estonian verb mõistma, meaning "to understand" or "to comprehend." The verb mõistma denotes cognitive understanding of information, concepts, or situations and is widely used in both everyday speech and formal writing. It can describe understanding of statements, instructions, or another person's motives, as in "Ta mõistab, mida see tähendab" or "Ta mõistab, miks ta nii käitub."

Conjugation in the present and past tenses is straightforward for Estonian verbs. Present: ma mõistan; sa mõistad; ta mõistab; me mõistame; te mõistate; nad mõistavad. Past: ma mõistsin; sa mõistsid; ta mõistis; me mõistsime; te mõistsite; nad mõistsid. The perfect (present perfect) form is built with the auxiliary olla: ma olen mõistnud; sa oled mõistnud; ta on mõistnud; me oleme mõistnud; te olete mõistnud; nad on mõistnud. Future tense is usually expressed using context or auxiliary constructions rather than a dedicated future form.

Usage notes and examples illustrate its function in complex clauses. Mõistma governs content clauses with conjunctions such as et and mida: "Ma mõistan, et ta on väsinud," "Ma mõistan, mida sa öelda tahad." It is common in both informal and formal registers. The verb contrasts with aru saama, which emphasizes perception or intuition rather than explicit cognitive understanding in some contexts.

Etümoloogia and related forms: mõistma is a native Estonian verb with cognates in related Finnic languages; the exact Proto-Finnic root is a matter of linguistic discussion. Related words include mõistus (intellect), mõistlik (reasonable), and mõistmine (the act of understanding). In everyday language, mõistab is a core verb for describing comprehension across education, science, and communication.