Tähtsustab

Tähtsustab is an Estonian verb meaning to emphasize something or to give it importance or weight. It describes the act of making a point more significant in a discussion, analysis, or communication. In English, it can be rendered as “emphasizes,” “highlights,” or “stresses the importance of.”

Etymology and form. The verb is formed from the adjective tähtis, meaning important, and the verbal suffix -ustada, which creates causative or intensive meanings. The base word highlights the idea of turning importance toward a subject. The present tense third-person singular form is tähtsustab, while the first-person form is tähtsustan, and the past tense is tähtsustas. The related noun tähtsus denotes importance or significance, and tähtsustamine refers to the act of emphasizing or assigning importance.

Usage. Tähtsustab is used in formal and semi-formal contexts, often in journalism, academic writing, or public discourse, to indicate that a topic is being treated as particularly significant. It can take a direct object in the genitive or a of-phrase to specify what is being emphasized, for example, “See raport tähtsustab noorte töövõimaluste olulisust” (This report emphasizes the importance of youth employment).

Examples.

- Artikkel tähtsustab küberturvalisuse olulisust tänapäeva ühiskonnas. (The article emphasizes the importance of cybersecurity in today’s society.)

- Eksperdid tähtsustavad varajase hariduse rolli arengus. (Experts emphasize the role of early education in development.)

See also. Related terms include tähtis (important), olulisus (importance), and rõhutama, which is a near-synonym meaning to stress or underline.