tõstma

Tõstma is an Estonian verb meaning to lift, raise, or increase. It can describe a literal act of lifting a physical object, such as lifting a box, as well as figurative increases, like raising prices, elevating a level, or raising one’s voice.

Etymology and related forms: The verb is native to Estonian and has cognates in other Finnic languages, notably Finnish nostaa. The noun form tõstmine refers to the act of lifting or increasing, and related adjectives and participles are formed from the same root.

Usage and examples: Tõstma is a transitive verb and commonly takes an object that denotes what is being lifted or raised. Examples include: Ma tõstan kasti laua pealt (I lift the crate off the table). Ta tõstis käed üles (He raised his hands up). Me peame hinda tõstma (We need to raise the price). Ta tõstis häält (He raised his voice). Figurative uses include increasing a level or quality, as in taset tõsta (to raise the level) or järgmist korda tõsta efektiivsust (to increase effectiveness next time).

Conjugation note: Like many Estonian -ta/-da verbs, tõstma forms are built with standard endings for present, past, and conditional moods, e.g., tõstan, tõstsid, tõstaksin, etc., depending on person and tense.

See also: tõus, tõstmine, hinnatõus, hääle tõstmine.