Hengitettävät

Hengitettävät is a Finnish adjective form used to describe materials or surfaces that allow air to pass through, in English often described as breathable or air-permeable. It is the plural form of hengitettävä, derived from the verb hengittää (to breathe). In everyday usage, hengitettävät is most common in product descriptions for textiles, clothing, and construction materials, for example hengitettävät kankaat (breathable fabrics) or hengitettävä kalvo (breathable membrane) in building envelopes.

Grammar and usage: Hengitettävä is the present active participle formed with the suffix -ttava, indicating capability or suitability. The plural nominative form hengitettävät corresponds to a plural noun phrase: hengitettävät kankaat, hengitettävät materiaalit. In other cases, the form inflects for number and case according to Finnish grammar, for example hengitettävien kankaiden (genitive) or hengitettävillä kankailla (inessive).

Etymology: The term is derived from the verb hengittää (to breathe) plus the participle suffix -ttava; related concepts include hengitys (breathing) and the broader idea of breathability.

Usage notes: Breathability is a key quality in textiles and protective gear. In consumer contexts, breathability is often described via permeability to water vapor (MVTR) or air permeability, though formal definitions can vary by standard and industry. The term is generally used descriptively rather than prescriptively.

See also: hengitettävä (singular form), ilmaa läpäisevä (air-permeable), hengittävyys (breathability).