hoiatavad

Hoiatavad is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Estonian verb hoiatama, meaning to warn or to caution. It is used when the subject is plural and the action of warning is taking place in the present. For example: Politseiametid hoiatavad liiklusõnnetuste eest. Nad hoiatavad inimesi varitseva ohu eest.

Usage and meaning

Hoiatavad can describe warnings issued by authorities, organizations, or multiple people. It often appears in news reports, public notices, and formal statements. The sense is cautionary and advisory, rather than a directive.

Grammar and related forms

Hoiatama is the infinitive; present tense forms include hoian (I warn) and hoiad (you warn) in singular, and hoiatab (he/she warns) and hoiatavad (they warn) in plural. The present participle is hoiatav, which can function as an adjective meaning “warning” or “cautionary.” The noun forms related to the verb include hoiatus (warning) and hoiatamine (the act of warning). Distinctions exist between when the focus is the act of warning versus the result or message of the warning.

Etymology and note

The verb hoiatama is a native Estonian verb. Hoiatavad is the non-compound, finite form used with plural subjects in the present. It should not be confused with nominal forms such as hoiatus, which denote the warning itself, rather than the act of warning performed by subjects.

In summary, hoiatavad is the present-tense, plural form of “to warn,” used to describe multiple subjects issuing warnings in the present moment.