vastutuseks

Vastutuseks is an Estonian term derived from the noun vastutus (responsibility) that is used to designate the role of being responsible for a task or area. In formal and administrative language, vastutuseks expresses that someone is acting in the capacity of, or has been designated as, the person responsible for something. The construction is common in official documents, contracts, and policy texts when assigning duties or accountability.

Usage and form. Vastutuseks is formed with the stem vastutus plus the derivational suffix -useks, which marks a role or capacity, similar to other Estonian formations such as kohustuseks (as an obligation) or kasuks (to one’s advantage). The form is predominantly found in formal contexts; everyday speech more often uses phrases like vastutav isik (the person responsible) or võtma vastutuse (to take responsibility). In sentences, one often encounters phrases such as vastutuseks määratud isik (the person designated as responsible) or vastutuseks võetud ülesanne (the task undertaken as the responsibility).

Semantic function. The term answers questions such as who is responsible and in what capacity. It signals accountability for a particular duty, outcome, or process, and it can appear in organizational charts, project charters, compliance statements, and legal texts.

Related terms. Related concepts include vastutus (responsibility), vastutav (responsible, accountable), vastutust võtma (to take responsibility), and vastutuse jaotus (division of responsibility). The use of vastutuseks tends to be restricted to more formal registers than ordinary conversational Estonian.

See also. Estonian language resources on case forms and derivational suffixes; governance and compliance terminology.