Tervislikumad

Tervislikumad is an Estonian comparative adjective meaning “healthier,” used to compare two or more items described as healthy. It is the nominative plural form of the adjective tervislik (healthy) when modifying plural nouns. For example, tervislikumad toidud means “healthier foods,” and tervislikumad eluviisid means “healthier lifestyles.”

In public health discourse, media and advertising, tervislikumad is common in phrases that promote healthier choices, such as tervislikumad valikud (healthier options) or tervislikumad harjumused (healthier habits). The term expresses relative healthiness rather than an absolute standard, and the precise attributes it implies depend on the context or nutritional guidelines referenced.

Etymology and usage notes: the word is formed from tervislik (healthy) with the comparative suffix -um and the plural ending -ad, yielding the plural adjective that can modify any corresponding plural noun. It functions strictly as an adjective and cannot stand alone as a noun; it describes the healthiness of the noun it accompanies.

Overall, tervislikumad is a common tool in Estonian for discussing and promoting comparative healthiness across foods, lifestyles, and other health-related choices, always within a relative framework defined by the surrounding context.