iseloomustas

Iseloomustas is a verb form in Estonian. It is the past tense, third-person singular form of the verb iseloomustama, which means to describe or to characterize the features or nature of someone or something. The verb iseloomustama is built from the noun iseloom (character, nature) plus the suffix -ustama, giving the sense of describing by outlining essential traits.

Usage and nuance: Iseloomustas is used when recounting how someone described a subject in the past. It is transitive and typically takes a direct object referring to a person, object, event, or idea, often with an evaluative or summarizing sense. The construction can be followed by a phrase introducing a comparison or evaluation, such as kui huvitavat or kui kaasahaaravat, to convey the described character or quality.

Etymology and related forms: The form derives from iseloomustama, with iseloom meaning character or nature. Related forms include the infinitive iseloomustama, the noun iseloom (character), and other conjugated tenses such as iseloomustab (present tense, 3rd person singular) and iseloomustas (past tense, feminine or plural variants, depending on subject).

Examples: Ta iseloomustas filmi kui huvitavat ja kaasahaaravat. (He described the film as interesting and engaging.) Kirjanik iseloomustas oma tegelasi sügavalt. (The author described his characters in depth.) The term is used mainly in written and formal contexts, as well as in journalism and academic writing to convey a descriptive assessment of subject traits.