ründavad

Ründavad is the Estonian present-tense form of the verb ründama, meaning to attack. It is the third-person plural form used with subjects such as nad or väed, for example Nad ründavad vastast. The form is productive in standard Estonian, created by combining the verb stem ründ- with the present-tense suffix -avad.

The related present-participle ründav means "attacking" and can be used as an adjective, as in ründav väegrupp (an attacking force). The noun forms rünnak or ründus refer to an attack or assault, and these nouns are often contrasted with the verb form in usage.

In usage, ründavad appears across different registers. In news reports and military contexts, it describes ongoing offensive actions in the present. In sports commentary, it can describe teams or players engaged in offensive plays. In literary writing, it may convey action and tension by describing multiple actors taking offensive steps.

Notes on syntax: Estonian verbs with plural subjects in the present tense typically adopt the -avad ending, while singular subjects use forms such as rünnab or ründab, depending on person and number. The verb governs objects in the partitive or accusative cases, depending on number and definiteness of the object.

See also: ründaja (attacker), rünnak (attack), ründus (assault), ründama (to attack).