Tunnistavad

Tunnistavad is an Estonian verb form used in present tense. It is the third-person plural present indicative of the verb tunnistama, which has several related meanings in English: to testify, to confess or acknowledge, and, less commonly in everyday speech, to recognize or identify in a formal sense. The exact sense depends on context and objects used with the verb.

In everyday usage, tunnistama most often conveys admitting or acknowledging something, such as confessing guilt or acknowledging a fact. In legal or formal contexts, it can mean to give testimony in court. The form tunnistavad specifically indicates that the subject is plural (they). Related forms include tunnistan (I acknowledge/confess), tunnistad (you acknowledge/confess), tunnistab (he/she acknowledges/confesses), and tunnistame (we acknowledge/confess).

Morphology and usage notes: Tunnistavad is produced by adding the -vad ending to the stem tunnist- (from tunnistama). Estonian verbs are marked for person and number in present tense, so other persons have corresponding endings. The verb supports both personal and impersonal constructions and often appears with direct objects when expressing confession (tunnistama süüd), or with location or event phrases when expressing testimony (tunnistama kohtus).

Example sentences:

- Nad tunnistavad oma süüd. (They confess their guilt.)

- Nad tunnistavad kohtus. (They testify in court.)

- Ta tunnistab, et ta eksis. (He/she confesses that he/she was mistaken.)

Tunnistavad is a standard, neutral form used across formal and informal registers, without special dialectal meaning. It is closely related etymologically to the noun tunnistus, meaning recognition, acknowledgment, or certificate.