soosivad

Soosivad is an Estonian verb form meaning "they favor" or "they support." It is the third-person plural present indicative form of the verb soosima, used to describe actions or tendencies performed by multiple subjects or impersonal agents.

The base verb, soosima, functions broadly to indicate favoring, preferring, promoting or creating conditions that benefit something. Related forms include the singular present soosib, past tense soosis, infinitive soosima and perfect on soosinud. Negative and interrogative constructions follow regular Estonian patterns (for example, nad ei soosi "they do not favor").

In use, soosivad appears in both literal and figurative contexts. Example sentences: "Ühiskondlikud muutused soosivad innovatsiooni" (Social changes favor innovation) and "Mõned kliimatingimused soosivad teatud liike" (Some climatic conditions favor certain species). It is common in journalistic, academic and everyday registers when describing preferences, policies, or environmental factors.

Semantically, soosivad overlaps with verbs such as toetama (to support) and eelistama (to prefer) but often emphasizes the creation of favorable conditions rather than direct endorsement. It can be used with human agents, institutions, and impersonal subjects like conditions or trends.

Pronunciation is approximated in English as "SOH-see-vahd," with Estonian stress typically on the first syllable. The form is regular and productive within Estonian verbal morphology.