laenatakse

Laenatakse is the Estonian passive present tense form of the verb laenama, meaning to lend or to borrow. It denotes that an object is being lent or borrowed, with the actor often unspecified. In neutral or formal language, laenatakse is used to describe actions performed on objects without naming who performs them.

Morphology and form: The passive is formed with the suffix -takse, so the infinitive laenata becomes laenatakse in the present passive. The agent can be omitted or expressed with a by-phrase (for example using poolt “by”), depending on how specific the statement should be. The tense here is present; past passive is laenati (was lent/borrowed).

Usage and nuance: Laenatakse is common in institutional, instructional, and descriptive texts, such as library catalogs, contract summaries, or process descriptions. It emphasizes the action on the object rather than the doer. The construction allows focusing on what happens to an item (that it is lent) rather than who lends it.

Examples:

- Raamat laenatakse kooli raamatukogust. (A book is borrowed from the school library.)

- Raha laenatakse pankade poolt. (Money is lent by banks.)

- Need tööriistad laenatakse kasutamiseks. (These tools are lent for use.)

Related terms include laenamine (the act of lending/borrowing) and laenata (to lend/borrow). Laenatakse reflects how Estonian frequently uses the passive voice to present actions in a general, object-centered way.