Puhuttaa

Puhuttaa is a Finnish verb derived from the verb puhua (to speak) with the causative suffix -ttaa. The form is used to express making someone speak or to prompt someone to speak, as well as to address someone in a way that aims to elicit a response or statement. In this sense, puhuttaa can be understood as “to cause to speak” or “to prompt to speak,” and it is often encountered in formal, journalistic, or legal contexts where statements, testimonies, or interviews are being sought.

Another core sense of puhuttaa concerns direct verbal address toward a person, typically in a manner that aims to influence, admonish, or instruct. This usage emphasizes the speaker’s approach or tone toward the addressee and can carry a nuance of urging someone to say or do something, or of speaking to someone at length.

The verb is related to the noun puhuttelu (address, admonition, or interrogation) and to the noun puhuttaminen (the act of addressing or questioning). These forms reflect the practical, sometimes formal, implications of eliciting speech or directing spoken interaction in conversations, interviews, or official settings.

Usage and register: puhuttaa is relatively formal and appears more in written Finnish, journalism, or official language than in everyday casual speech. In ordinary conversation, speakers are more likely to use synonyms such as puhua with explicit context (talk with someone) or keskustella (to discuss).

See also: puhuttelu, puhuttaminen, puhujan, puhua. Etymology: from puhua + -ttaa, the causative suffix.