põhjendavad

Põhjendavad is the third-person plural present tense form of the Estonian verb põhendama, which means to justify or to substantiate. In usage, põhendavad denotes that a group of subjects (they) provide reasons, evidence, or arguments in support of a claim, proposition, or position. The form is common in argumentative, academic, and legal writing.

In addition to the finite verb form, põhendav is the present active participle meaning “justifying” or “explanatory.” The related nouns include põhjus (reason), põhjendus (justification), and põhendamine (the act of justifying). These terms are used to describe the act of giving reasons or the process of providing justification.

Usage and meaning: põhendavad typically appears when describing how statements or conclusions are supported. It often collocates with nouns such as väited (claims), otsused (decisions), or argumendid (arguments). For example, Nad põhendavad oma väiteid uuringute ja loogilise järeldusega. In legal or formal contexts, the verb can introduce the requirement that a decision or argument be well grounded in evidence and applicable rules.

Notes: The form reflects agreement with a plural subject. The base verb põhendama has related forms including põhendan (I justify), põhendad (you justify), and põhendab (he/she/it justifies). Understanding põhendavad helps in parsing Estonian texts that discuss justification, validation, or evidence in discourse.