Kuivata

Kuivata is a Finnish verb meaning to dry or dry out, i.e., to remove moisture from something. It is typically used as a transitive verb, taking a direct object such as clothes, a surface, food, or other materials. The action can be accomplished by various methods, including air drying, ventilation, heat, or the use of absorbent materials.

The word belongs to the Dryness word family in Finnish. The related noun kuivaus denotes the act or process of drying, and the adjective kuiva means dry. The past participle kuivattu describes something that has been dried. In everyday usage, the passive form kuivataan is common to describe ongoing drying, for example, Pyykki kuivataan narulla (the laundry is being dried on the line).

Common contexts for kuivata include domestic tasks (drying laundry, drying dishes, drying a wet surface), cooking (patting meat or fish dry with paper towels), and various industrial or scientific settings where moisture must be removed from materials. Equipment and facilities related to the process include terms such as kuivausrumpu (clothes dryer) and kuivauskaappi (drying cabinet).

Usage notes: Kuivata is part of everyday Finnish vocabulary and appears in both imperative and descriptive contexts. The term emphasizes the removal of moisture rather than simply removing dirt, and its exact method varies with the situation.