This is the 218th most frequent Estonian word.
võtab
"Võtab" means "takes" in English.
In this sentence, 'võtab' is used to indicate the act of taking or grasping something physically, namely, the book.
Ta võtab raamatu riiulist.
He takes a book from the shelf.
Here, 'võtab' is used metaphorically to express allocating or using time for a purpose.
Õpetaja võtab aega, et selgitada uut teemat.
The teacher takes time to explain the new topic.
In this context, 'võtab' is used in the sense of choosing or deciding to begin a vacation.