kõnetab

Kõnetab is the third-person singular present tense form of the Estonian verb kõnetama. The core meaning is to address someone directly or to speak to an audience; it can also be used in a broader sense of appealing to or moving someone emotionally. In use, the verb denotes both literal speech to a listener and figurative impact on a reader or listener.

The action is transitive, taking a target such as a person, a group, or an audience. Common constructions include kõnetama kedagi (to speak to someone) and kõnetama publikut, noori, inimesi, or kaugemaid audiences. In a rhetorical or literary sense, kõnetab may describe something that resonates with people or that conveys a message effectively, as in Lugu kõnetab paljusid või Sõnum kõnetab noori.

Etymology derives from the noun kõne, speech or talk, combined with the verb-forming suffix -tama, giving a sense of “to speak in a certain way” or “to address.” The form kõnetab appears in everyday Estonian, particularly in journalism, public speaking, literature, and media, where speakers or texts are described as addressing or appealing to audiences.

Related concepts include kõnetamine (the act of addressing or appealing), kõnetus (an address or appeal), and kõne (speech or address). The word often conveys both direct communication and emotional or ideological impact, depending on context.