süüakse

Süüakse is the present passive form of the Estonian verb sööma, meaning “to eat.” It translates as “is eaten” or “are eaten” in English and is used when the actor performing the action is not stated or unknown. The form is common in general statements about eating, in instructional text, and in listings where food consumption is described without naming the eater.

Morphology: The passive is formed by adding the suffix -akse to the verb stem (söö-), yielding süüakse. The agent is not expressed; the subject of the sentence is the thing being eaten. The corresponding active form is sööb (he/she/it eats) in the present, and söödi is the past passive form (“was eaten”).

Usage notes: In everyday Estonian, süüakse can reference foods in a general sense, appear in recipes, menus, and guidelines where the focus is on the action rather than the actor. Both singular and plural subjects can be described with süüakse depending on what is being eaten.

Examples: Õun süüakse. (An apple is eaten.) Palju köögivilju süüakse iga päev. (Many vegetables are eaten every day.)