Tagajärjena

Tagajärjena is an Estonian word that functions as an adverb or a conjunction. It translates to "as a consequence," "as a result," or "subsequently" in English. It is used to indicate that something happened because of a previous event or action.

As an adverb, tagajärjena typically follows the clause it modifies, emphasizing the outcome of a preceding statement. For example, "Ta hilines, tagajärjena jäi ta rongist maha" (He was late, as a consequence, he missed the train). Here, tagajärjena highlights that missing the train was a direct result of being late.

When used as a conjunction, tagajärjena connects two clauses, showing a cause-and-effect relationship. It often appears at the beginning of the second clause. For instance, "Vihma sadas kogu päeva. Tagajärjena olid tänavad üle ujutatud" (It rained all day. As a result, the streets were flooded). This usage clearly links the heavy rain to the flooded streets.

The word tagajärjena is derived from "tagajärg," meaning "consequence" or "result." Its grammatical function is to explicitly signal that one event or situation leads to another. It is a common and versatile word in Estonian, employed in both formal and informal contexts to express causality. Understanding its usage is key to comprehending the logical flow of sentences in the Estonian language.