Soittavat

Soittavat is a Finnish verb form derived from the verb soittaa, meaning to play (an instrument) or to call (as in ringing a phone). It is most commonly encountered as the third-person plural present tense form of soittaa, i.e., it marks "they play" or "they are playing" in a sentence.

The form is built on the verb stem soita- plus the present-tense plural ending -vat, which is chosen according to vowel harmony rules in Finnish. In practice, soittavat is used when the subject is a plural noun or pronoun, for example: He soittavat kitaraa. Translation: They play guitar.

As a present active participle, soittavat can also serve adjectivally to describe people or things that are in the act of playing. The corresponding singular participle is soittava, and the plural participle inflects as soittavat. Example: Soittavat muusikot ovat lavalla. Translation: The musicians who are playing are on stage.

Note that soittavat can appear also in non-participial usage as a simple present indicative, and the past tense form is soittivat (they played).

Related terms: soittaa (to play/to call), soittaja (musician/performer), soittajat (musicians/performers, plural noun). See also Finnish verb conjugation and participle forms.