Sopeutuvat

Sopeutuvat is a Finnish verb form meaning "they adapt" or "they adjust." It is the present tense, third-person plural form of the verb sopeutua, and it is used to describe people, groups, organisms, or organizations becoming accustomed to or adjusting to new circumstances, environments, rules, or conditions.

Grammatically, sopeutuvat is derived from the stem sopeutu- with the present-tense plural suffix -vat. Finnish verbs are inflected for person and number; sopeutua is intransitive and is typically used with adverbial or directional cases rather than a direct object. The expression sopeutuvat is commonly followed by phrases like "uusiin olosuhteisiin" to indicate what is being adapted to, as in sopeutuvat uusiin olosuhteisiin (they adapt to new conditions).

Usage examples illustrate its range: "Nuoret sopeutuvat hyvin uuteen kouluun" (The youths adapt well to the new school). "Yritykset sopeutuvat markkinoiden muutoksiin" (Companies adapt to changes in the markets). "Linnut sopeutuvat muuttuvaan ilmastoon" (Birds adapt to the changing climate). The form emphasizes an ongoing process of adjustment rather than a completed change.

Related terms include sopeutuminen (the act or process of adapting) and sopeutumiskyky or sopeutuvuus (adaptability). The concept is common across sociology, biology, ecology, and business, where actors must adjust to varying conditions and constraints.