kasutanud

Kasutanud is the past active participle of the Estonian verb kasutama, meaning to use. It conveys that the action of using has been completed in the past. As a participle, kasutanud is used to form perfect tenses with auxiliary verbs (for example, olen kasutanud, oled kasutanud, oleme kasutanud) and can also function in attributive position to describe a noun in contexts where the action of using is relevant. The participle is typically formed from the verb stem kasut- with the participial suffix -nud or -anud, depending on phonology.

Usage notes:

- Kasutanud marks a completed act of using, often contrasted with present use.

- It can introduce non-finite clauses or appear in compound tenses together with a form of olema (to be).

Examples in Estonian:

- Ma olen seda meetodit kasutanud. (I have used this method.)

- Ta oli juba sama tööriista kasutanud. (He had already used the same tool.)

Distinction:

- Kasutanud contrasts with kasutatud, the passive past participle meaning “used” in a more passive sense, as in “kasutatud tööriistad” (used tools). Kasutanud emphasizes the subject’s own act of using.

Related forms:

- kasutama (to use)

- kasutan (present, I use)

- kasutav (present participle, using)

- kasutus (usage)

- kasutaja (user)

Overall, kasutanud is a key non-finite form in Estonian that signals a completed act of using and participates in the formation of perfect tenses as well as in descriptive clauses.