Päästes

Päästes is an Estonian verbal adverbial participle derived from the verb päästa, meaning to save or rescue. It expresses an attendant circumstance in a non-finite clause, roughly corresponding to the English terms having saved or by saving. The form is used to link two actions with a temporal, causal, or instrumental relation, and it typically introduces the context for the main clause without shifting the main clause’s tense.

In function, päästes can set the background for what follows or indicate how an action was performed. It is invariant for person and number, and it does not change to reflect the subject of the main clause. The sense and aspect of the main verb are preserved, with the participle providing additional information about the circumstances under which the main action occurs.

Formation and usage: päästes is formed by adding the suffix -stes to the verb stem, in this case from päästa. The construction is common in formal or literary Estonian and is frequently found in written language, including journalism and literature. In everyday speech, speakers may prefer explicit subordinate clauses, but adverbial participles like päästes remain standard in written style and certain formal registers.

Related forms: The related past passive participle päästetud indicates ‘rescued’ as a descriptive attribute, while päästa is the base verb. Other adverbial participles, such as tehes (doing) or lugedes (reading), function similarly in forming non-finite clauses and conveying attendant circumstances.

See also: päästa, adverbial participles, past participles.