tõlgendas

Tõlgendas is the third-person singular simple past (imperfect) form of the Estonian verb tõlgendama, which means "to interpret," "to construe," or "to exposit." As a verbal form it is used to indicate that someone or something performed an act of interpretation in the past (for example, "Ta tõlgendas teksti teisiti" — "He/she interpreted the text differently").

Etymology and pronunciation trace the verb to Estonian roots related to Finnic verbal patterns; the approximate pronunciation is [ˈtɤlɡendɑs], with primary stress on the first syllable and the Estonian vowel õ [ɤ]. Grammatically, tõlgendas contrasts with the present tense tõlgendab and participates in the regular imperfect conjugation paradigm (e.g., tõlgendasin, tõlgendasid, tõlgendasime).

Usage of tõlgendas appears across literary criticism, translation studies, law, theology, and everyday discourse where meaning, intention or significance is assigned to words, actions, or events. It is distinct from tõlkima ("to translate") by emphasizing interpretation or explanation rather than direct language-to-language rendering. Related forms and nouns include tõlgendamine (the act of interpreting) and tõlgendus (an interpretation).