kaevad

Kaevad is an Estonian verb form meaning you dig. It is the second-person singular present tense of the verb kaevama, which means to dig. In everyday use, kaevad appears in sentences addressing one listener directly, for example Sina kaevad, meaning You dig.

Conjugation and related forms follow the standard Estonian present tense pattern for kaevama. The full present tense forms are: ma kaevan (I dig), sa kaevad (you dig), tema kaevab (he/she digs), me kaevame (we dig), te kaevate (you all dig), nemad kaevavad (they dig). The form kaevad is therefore tied to the second-person singular pronunciation and spelling.

Etymology and cognates: kaevama belongs to the Finnic branch of the Uralic language family. Its root kiro is cognate with related Finnic languages; for example Finnish kaivaa means to dig. The Estonian verb shares a common semantic core with these cognates and uses typical Finnic verb morphology for tense and agreement.

Usage and context: kaevama is used in contexts ranging from practical construction work and archaeology to metaphorical expressions about investigation or excavation. The form kaevad specifically addresses a single listener in the present tense. The verb is productive in both literal and figurative discourse, and it commonly appears in written and spoken Estonian.

See also: kaevama, Estonian verb conjugation, Finnish kaivaa (dig).