Huolehtii

Huolehtii is a Finnish verb meaning both “to take care of” and “to worry.” It is used when someone looks after people or things, or when there is concern about a situation. As a present tense form, huolehtii is the third-person singular of huolehtia, for example: Hän huolehtii koirastaan, meaning “He/She takes care of his/ her dog.”

The verb is commonly used in two senses. In caregiving, it describes providing attention, assistance, or responsibility for someone or something, as in huolehtii lapsestaan (“takes care of his/her child”). In the sense of concern, it expresses worrying or preoccupation about a matter, as in Hän huolehtii siitä, että kaikki on kunnossa (“He worries about it, ensuring everything is okay”). The sense can be clarified through context, often with phrases like siitä (that/it) or että + clause.

Grammatically, huolehtia forms like minä huolehdin, sinä huolehdit, me huolehdimme, te huolehditte, he huolehtivat are used for other subjects. The past tense is huolehti. The verb can take various objects in different cases, typically referring to a person or thing one takes care of, or to a matter one worries about, e.g., koirastaan, lapsestaan, siitä.

Etymology-wise, huolehtia is formed from the noun huoli (care, concern) with the verb-forming suffix -htia, linking the ideas of responsibility and attention. Related expressions include pitää huolta (to take care of) and välittää (to care about), though each carries its own nuance.

See also: Finnish verbs, huoli, pitää huolta, välittää.