Suunata

Suunata is a Finnish verb meaning to direct, to aim, or to guide toward a target, goal, or direction. It is used both literally, for directing attention, gaze, or movement toward something, and figuratively, for directing plans, resources, or actions toward a desired outcome. The word is closely related to the noun suunta, direction or aim, and is formed with the infinitive suffix -ta to indicate a transitive action.

In usage, suunata often appears with a target or direction phrase. For example, Hän suuntaa katseensa kohti horisonttia (She directs her gaze toward the horizon). Another common construction is to state that an effort or project is being directed toward a goal, such as suuntaa resursseja paremman saavutettavuuden puoliväliin (the project directs resources toward better accessibility). The verb can describe both actions performed by people and strategic choices in organizations or plans.

Suunata is a regular -ta verb in Finnish. In the present tense the forms are: minä suuntaan, sinä suuntaat, hän suuntaa, me suuntaamme, te suuntaatte, he suuntaavat. The past tense forms include suuntasin, suuntasit, suuntasi, suuntasimme, suuntasitte, suuntasivat, and the perfect form is olen suuntaanut. The verb also combines naturally with directional words such as kohti, tai, and kohti tiettyä tavoitetta to specify the aim or direction.

See also: suunta (direction), ohjata (to direct/manage), suunnata (to aim or orient oneself).