hirmutatakse

Hirmutatakse is a form of the Estonian verb hirmutada, which means “to frighten” or “to scare.” The word hirmutatakse is the passive construction in the present indicative tense, equivalent to “is frightened” or “is being frightened” in English. It is used to describe an action performed upon the subject by an external agent, often with an unspecified or general doer.

In Estonian, the passive voice is formed by adding the suffix -takse or -akse to the verb stem, and the third‑person singular present form is hirmutatakse. The passive construction allows speakers to emphasize the experience or state rather than who is performing the action. For example: “Lapsehärmisse hirmutatakse, kui nad näevad vaha.” translates to “Children are frightened when they see the thunderstorm.”

The verb hirmutada belongs to the first conjugation group, with the stem hirmut-, and is regular in its inflection patterns. The passive form is used in both spoken and written Estonian, appearing frequently in descriptive narratives, news reports, and informal conversation. It can also appear in idiomatic contexts, such as hirmutatud seltskond (a frightened crowd) or hirmutatud tunde (a frightened feeling).

In comparative linguistics, the passive mood in Estonian is similar to that in other Finno-Ugric languages, where the agent often remains implicit. The word hirmutatakse is closely related to the noun hirm (fear) and the adjective hirmulik (fearful). It is a neutral, descriptive form that conveys the emotional state of a subject without attributing blame or agency.