Võtates

Võtates is a non-finite form of the Estonian verb võtta, meaning “to take.” It functions as an adverbial participle (gerund) and expresses the circumstance under which the main verb occurs, typically translated as “taking” or “while taking.” The form is primarily found in written and formal Estonian, where it introduces subordinate clauses that indicate simultaneity, condition, or rationale.

In practice, võtates is used to set the frame for the main clause, often at the beginning of a sentence or clause and followed by a comma. It is common in legal, political, academic, and official prose. The construction is aimed at compactly linking a background action with the main event, similar to English “taking … into account” or “while taking … into account.” A related and more widely used variant in everyday writing is võttes arvesse, which conveys a similar meaning.

Grammatically, võtates is a non-finite form and does not change for gender or number; it is not declined and normally governs the main clause without adding inflection to itself. In everyday speech, speakers may prefer alternative formulations using finite clauses or other non-finite constructions, but võtates remains correct and idiomatic in formal Estonian.

See also: võttes arvesse, võttama, participial constructions in Estonian.