vähendasid

Vähendasid is an Estonian verb form derived from the verb vähendama (to reduce, to decrease). It represents a past-tense, finite form used with plural subjects and often corresponds to the English "they reduced." In context it is typically found with explicit plural subjects such as nad (they) or other plural nouns.

Morphologically, vähendasid is formed as a past tense form, marking completion of the action in the past and indicating plurality. The form is part of standard Estonian conjugation for regular verbs and can appear in a variety of registers, from everyday speech to formal reporting.

Usage and nuance: vahendab information about reductions in numbers, costs, emissions, or other quantities. It is common in news reports, statistical summaries, business writing, and scholarly analyses when describing results or changes that have already occurred. The verb is transitive and typically governs a direct object describing what was reduced (for example, kulusid = costs, emiteeritud väärtus = emitted value, etc.).

Related terms include the noun vähendamine (reduction), the verb vähendada (to reduce) in various other forms, and related conjugations such as vähendan (I reduce) and vähendasin (I reduced). The form vähendasid should be distinguished from other past-tense forms like vähendasite (you [plural] reduced) or vähendasid (they reduced) depending on subject and sentence structure.

In summary, vähendasid is a standard Estonian past-tense verb form used with plural subjects to indicate that a reduction occurred in the past. It is part of the broader verbal system centered on the verb vähendama/vähendada.