märkasid

märkasid is a finite verb form in Estonian. It is the third-person plural past tense of the verb märka (also spelled märkama), which means to notice or to mark. The form is used when the subject of the clause is plural and the action is described as having occurred in the past.

Morphology and usage notes: märkasid is formed from the verb stem märka with the past tense marking appropriate for third-person plural subjects. In sentences, it typically appears with a subject in the plural (nad) and can express both senses of the root meaning—seeing or noticing something, or marking something by attention or indication. The context usually clarifies which sense is intended.

Examples:

- Nad märkasid kedagi ukse taga. (They noticed someone behind the door.)

- Nad märkasid, et valgus kustus. (They noticed that the light was going out.)

- Nad märkasid märgisega kaetud teepoole. (They marked the route with a sign.)

Notes: As with many Estonian verb forms, märkasid integrates with surrounding syntax to convey tense, aspect, and mood. In narrative prose, it frequently serves to advance events by indicating that a perception or a marking action occurred in the past. The form is distinctly Estonian and is not used as a noun or in other languages without adaptation.

See also: Estonian verb conjugation, märka, past tense in Estonian.

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