rääkides

Rääkides is an Estonian present adverbial participle formed from the verb rääkima (to speak, to tell). It is used to express an action that accompanies or accompanies the main verb, often indicating manner or simultaneity. In English terms, it corresponds to phrases like “speaking calmly” or “while speaking.”

In usage, rääkides typically introduces a participial phrase that describes how something is done or the circumstances under which the main action occurs. It can appear at the beginning or within a sentence and is commonly separated from the main clause by a comma. For example: Rääkides rahulikult, ta lõpetas ettekande. (Speaking calmly, he finished the presentation.) The subject of the participle phrase is usually the same as the subject of the main clause, though stylistic variations can occur in more complex sentences.

Rääkides is more frequent in written Estonian, especially in formal or literary styles, and is less common in informal spoken language where simpler clause structures are preferred. It chairs a broader family of non-finite verb forms used to convey time, manner, or condition, including other adverbial participles such as lugedes (while reading) or kuulates (listening).

Overall, rääkides serves as a concise tool for adding descriptive nuance to statements, enabling a compact expression of concurrent action or manner without creating a separate finite clause.