Puhuvat

Puhuvat is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Finnish verb puhua, meaning to speak or to talk. It is a finite verb form used to describe actions performed by multiple subjects. In Finnish, the present tense is formed by attaching person and number suffixes to the verb stem; for puhua the stem is "puhu-" and the third-person plural ending is "-vat," producing "puhuvat." The pronunciation typically emphasizes the stem with a clear final consonant.

Usage and meaning: Puhuvat is used to state that several people are speaking. Examples include "He puhuvat suomea" (They speak Finnish) and "Lapset puhuvat yleensä ystävällisesti" (The children usually speak kindly). It can describe habitual or in-progress speaking, depending on context. In negative constructions, the form changes with negation: "Eivät puhu" (They do not speak). In questions, it appears as "Puhuvatko he..." (Do they speak...?).

Grammar context: Puhuvat agrees with a plural subject, which can be explicit (he, he, he vä) or omitted in Finnish when the subject is understood from context. The form contrasts with other present tense forms of puhua, such as "puhuu" (he/she/it speaks) and "puhumme" (we speak). Finnish verb conjugation relies on endings to indicate person and number rather than separate subject pronouns.

Etymology and scope: Puhuva, puhuneet, and other derivatives come from the same root puhu-, reflecting typical Finnic verb conjugation patterns. Puhuvat remains a common, neutral form used across registers—from everyday speech to written prose.

See also: Finnish verbs, puhua, verb conjugation in Finnish.