Selittävät

Selittävät is the present indicative third-person plural form of the Finnish verb selittää, meaning "to explain." It is used when the subject is plural, conveying that "they explain" or "they are explaining." The verb selittää is transitive and commonly takes a direct object or a dependent clause that states what is explained.

In usage, selittävät appears in contexts ranging from everyday conversation to journalism and education. It is typical to hear phrases such as they explain the situation, explain why a decision was made, or explain what will happen next. The sentence often includes a subordinate clause introduced by words like miksi (why) or mitä (what).

Examples:

- He selittävät asian lyhyesti. (They explain the matter briefly.)

- He selittävät, miksi päätös tehtiin. (They explain why the decision was made.)

- He selittävät, mitä seuraavaksi tapahtuu. (They explain what will happen next.)

Related forms include the infinitive selittää, the past tense selitti, and the noun selitys meaning "explanation." The verb is etymologically linked to selitys, with the common -ttää suffix pattern that forms Finnish verbs from nouns or stems related to explanation.

Notes:

- Selittävät is the plural form; other persons and numbers have their own forms (for example, singular present forms).

- The sense of selittää can cover giving factual explanations as well as providing justification or reasons, depending on context.