käsivad

Küsivad is the Estonian verb form meaning “they ask.” It is the third-person plural present indicative form of the verb küsima, which means to ask. In Estonian, the present tense for third-person plural is formed by adding the ending -ivad to the verb stem, so küsima yields küsivad. The corresponding singular present forms are küsib (he/she asks) and küsin (I ask).

Küsivad is used whenever the subject is plural. It can govern direct objects in various cases, commonly in the partitive or in clauses. For example: Nad küsivad abi. (They ask for help.) Nad küsivad küsimusi. (They ask questions.) Nad küsivad, millal rong väljub. (They ask when the train leaves.)

Etymology and related forms: The root küs- is shared with related Estonian words such as küsi (imperative form of to ask) and the noun küsimus (question), which derives from the same root. The word is related, through Finnic language history, to cognate forms in other Finnic languages, such as Finnish kysyä (to ask) and related question-nouns.

In summary, küsivad is a common present-tense form used for multiple actors asking something, and it fits into a broader family of Estonian verbs connected to asking and questioning.