Taivuttivat

Taivuttivat is the third-person plural imperfect form of the Finnish verb taivuttaa. It is used for both a literal, physical bending and a figurative sense in which someone twists or persuades another, depending on the context. In a sentence, taivuttivat generally translates as “they bent” or “they persuaded/brought someone to do something.”

Morphology and usage

Taivuttaa is a Finnish transitively used verb. The infinitive is taivuttaa, and the stem for past tense forms is taivutt-. The third-person plural imperfect is taivuttivat, formed with the stem taivutt- plus the imperfect marker -ivat. This form appears in narrative past contexts referring to multiple subjects performing the action.

The physical sense commonly involves bending or shaping objects, for example: He taivuttivat oksia puusta (They bent the branches from the tree). The figurative sense involves influencing a person or their will, for instance: He taivuttiivat hänen tahtonsa (They bent his will) or He taivuttivat hänet tekemään sen (They persuaded him to do it). The exact meaning hinges on the object and the surrounding context.

See also and related forms

Taivuttaa has a range of related forms, including taivuttaminen (the act of bending or persuading) and taivuttava (bendable, capable of being bent). The nuance between physical bending and figurative persuasion is a key feature of taivuttava usage and is determined by the direct object and context.