pidama

Estonian

Etymology 1

From Proto-Finnic *pitädäk.

Verb

pidama (da-infinitive pidada)

1. to keep, to hold

   Lauda pidas vaid üks nael.

   Only a single nail held the table.

2. to keep, to maintain

   Ta oskab tempot pidada.

   He can keep his tempo.

3. to keep back, to hold back

   Jaan tahtis jubedalt kakelda, aga sai veel pidama.

   Jaan really wanted to fight, but he managed to hold himself back.

4. to stay

   Rinne jäi tükiks ajaks Riia alla pidama.

   The front stayed at Riga for a while.

5. to raise, to have (livestock, slaves)

   Me oleme kolmkümmend aastat juba kanu pidanud.

   We've raised chickens for 30 years already.

6. to deliver, to conduct

   Ta hakkab kohe oma kõnet pidama.

   He's gonna start delivering his speech.

7. to celebrate

   Ammu pole jaanipäeva peetud.

   We haven't celebrated St. John's day in a while.

8. to consider (governs the translative)

   Mõni hull peab end Hiina keisriks.

   Some lunatics consider themselves the Emperor of China.

Usage notes

Often used in phrasal verbs.

Inflection

Derived terms

• pidamine

Etymology 2

From Proto-Finnic *pitädäk.

Verb

pidama (da-infinitive pidada)

1. to have to, must (governs the -ma infinitive)

   Me peame ruttu varjualuse leidma.

   We have to find shelter, quickly.

2. to plan to, to want to

   Pidite ju Pärnu sõitma?

   Didn't you plan on driving to Pärnu?

3. should (with conditional)

   See peaks sobima küll.

   This should fit.

Usage notes

The imperative is completely replaced by the present indicative forms.

Conjugation

Further reading

• pidama in Sõnaveeb (Eesti Keele Instituut)
• “pidama”, in Eesti keele seletav sõnaraamat [Descriptive Dictionary of the Estonian Language] (in Estonian) (online version), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2009