Vahendub

Vahendub is an Estonian verb form meaning “to be used” or “to be employed as a means.” It represents the present passive third-person singular form of a verb built from the root vahend-, which denotes a tool, instrument, or means. In Estonian, the suffix -dub marks the present passive, producing a clause in which the subject is acted upon rather than performing the action.

Etymology and use: The base noun vahend meaning "tool" or "means" provides the semantic core for this form. The vahend- stem combined with the present passive suffix -dub yields a construction that expresses that something is being used as a means in a process. The form is common in formal, technical, and administrative registers, where it can describe resources, instruments, or methods functioning as means within workflows, experiments, budgeting, or policy processes. The exact syntactic complements may vary by context.

Grammatical notes: Vahendub is part of the broader Estonian passive-voice system. It typically relates to statements about how actions are accomplished or facilitated by tools, techniques, or other resources rather than who performs the action. Because Estonian structuring often relies on case forms rather than prepositions, the accompanying objects or phrases conveying “as a means” will align with standard case usage for the relevant function.

See also: vahend (tool, means), Estonian grammar, passive voice, use (kasutamine).