Sallittava

Sallittava is a Finnish adjective formed from the verb sallia, meaning to allow, with the present passive participle suffix -ttava. It roughly translates to permissible or allowable in English and is used to describe something that may be allowed under rules, regulations, or common practice. The form is typically placed before a noun in attributive position, for example sallittava enimmäismäärä (the permissible maximum amount) or sallittavat toimenpiteet (the permissible actions). In predicative use, it can appear in statements such as Tämä on sallittava (This is permissible).

The word is common in legal, regulatory, and safety texts, where it signals compliance with standards rather than an explicit, current authorization. The concept is closely linked to related forms such as the noun sallittavuus (permissibility) and the adjective sallittu or sallitun, which describe something that has already been allowed. The nuance is that sallittava points to what is allowed under rules, whereas sallittu indicates that permission has been granted.

Usage notes and examples help illustrate its function: Sallittava enimmäismäärä on 5 litraa (The permissible maximum is 5 liters). Nämä toimenpiteet ovat sallittavia (These measures are permissible). Tarvitaan sallittavaa käytäntöä, jotta toiminta voidaan suorittaa (A permissible practice is required in order to carry out the activity). In everyday language, sallittu is more common for stating actual permission, while sallittava remains frequent in policy and formal contexts.