Tahtliku

Tahtlik is an Estonian adjective meaning intentional or deliberate. It describes actions taken with purpose or with the knowledge that a certain result is likely or intended. In everyday language it is used to distinguish deliberate conduct from accidental, negligent, or purely careless actions. In legal contexts, tahtlik denotes a mental state (intent) that may be required for certain crimes, setting it apart from unintentional or negligent harm.

The form tahtliku is the genitive singular of the adjective tahtlik. It is used when the adjective modifies a noun in the genitive case, for example in phrases like tahtliku teo, meaning “of an intentional act,” or tahtliku kuriteo in more formal or legal wording. In nominative constructions the phrase would typically be tahtlik tegu, meaning “an intentional act.” This inflection follows standard Estonian adjective declension, where the ending changes to fit the case and number of the noun it modifies.

In usage, tahtlik is commonly found in legal, criminological, or formal writing to distinguish acts performed with intent from those that are reckless, negligent, or accidental. It can also appear in discussions of moral responsibility, policy, or ethics, where the presence or absence of intent affects assessment and consequences.

See also: intent (mens rea), negligence, Estonian criminal law, legal terminology.