Tähendas

Tähendas is the past tense form of Estonian verb tähendama, meaning to mean or to signify. It is used to describe what something meant or signified in the past, or what someone intended. The base noun tähendus refers to the meaning itself.

Form and usage: Tähendas is the third-person singular past tense. It is commonly used with an explicit subject or with the pronoun ta. Examples include: Mida see märk tähendas? (What did this sign mean?) Ta tähendas, et ta tuleb hiljem. (He meant that he would come later.) Need andmed tähendasid, et plaan pidi muutuma. (Those data signified that the plan had to change.)

Relation to related words: The verb tähendama describes the act of conveying meaning, while the noun tähendus names that meaning. The present tense form is tähendab (he/she means). The past participle tähendatud is used in passive constructions or in compound tenses. Distinctions exist between stating a literal meaning and indicating figurative or implied meaning, where context and tone determine whether tähendas refers to a surface meaning or a deeper significance.

Usage notes: In narrative and reported speech, tähendas can convey not only linguistic meaning but also intention or consequence implied by a statement, sign, or action. It can contrast with synonyms such as märkima or viitama, but tähendas emphasizes what was signified rather than merely pointed to. Understanding requires attention to subject, a direct question, or surrounding context.