kujutus

Ku’jutus is an Estonian noun that denotes an image, depiction, or impression. It can refer to a visual image produced by art, photography, or film, as well as to a mental image or impression formed in the mind. In everyday language, kujutus often corresponds to “image” or “impression” depending on context, and it appears in phrases like ma kujutan ette (I imagine) and kujutluslik (imagery-like). The word is derived from the verb kujuta, meaning to depict or to imagine, with the suffix -us forming a noun of action.

The standard morphological forms are: singular kujutus; plural kujutused; genitive kujutuse; partitive kujutust.

In art and media, kujutus is used to discuss the depiction of subjects—how a scene is presented, composed, or stylized. In cognitive contexts, it refers to a mental image or imagined scenario, i.e., the act or product of visualizing something. The term can also convey a notion or impression of something that may not correspond to external reality, though for a precise sense of illusion other terms may be used.

See also: the Estonian vocabulary around depiction, representation, and imagination. While kujutus covers both external images and internal imagery, its precise meaning is determined by context, ranging from concrete depictions in artwork to abstract mental imagery.