tõhusast

Tõhusast is the elative singular form of the Estonian adjective tõhus, meaning efficient. In Estonian grammar, the elative case expresses origin or source and is used with a noun to indicate “from” or “out of” that noun. When the adjective tõhus describes a noun in the elative, it takes the form tõhusast, as in tõhusast töötajast (from/about the efficient employee).

Formation and usage notes: The elative singular is formed by adding the ending -st to the stem of the adjective, here tõhus-. Adjectives in Estonian agree with the noun they modify in case and number, so tõhusast will appear with masculine, feminine, or neuter nouns in the singular elative. The elative form is distinct from the comparative and superlative forms of the adjective, which are tõhusam (more efficient) and tõhusaim (most efficient), respectively.

Examples: A common construction is Me rääkisime tõhusast töötajast, kes lahendas ülesande kiiresti, meaning “We spoke about the efficient employee who solved the task quickly.” The elative form can also appear in other verbs that take an entity as the source or subject of discussion.

Overview: Tõhusast functions as a grammatical inflected form rather than a standalone lexical item. It is primarily encountered in formal or descriptive Estonian where the speaker references someone or something characterized by efficiency, and it should be distinguished from the degree-based forms tõhusam and tõhusaim.