Tarjoilen

Tarjoilen is the first-person singular present tense form of the Finnish verb tarjoilla, meaning to offer or to serve/provide. It indicates that the speaker (minä, I) is currently performing the action or states a present habitual action. Finnish conjugation marks person and number in the verb ending, so tarjoilen directly encodes “I offer/serve.”

Usage in Finnish is common in hospitality, food service, and everyday exchanges where someone offers food, drink, or other assistance. The nuance can range from a direct action by the speaker to a general statement of a capability or willingness. Because the present tense can express both immediate and routine activity, tarjoilen appears in menus, service dialogue, and informal conversations.

Conjugation in present tense (examples):

- minä tarjoilen

- sinä tarjoilet

- hän tarjoilee

- me tarjoilemme

- te tarjoilette

- he tarjoilevat

Common constructions include: Minä tarjoilen kahvia. I am serving coffee. Tarjoilen teille ruokaa. I will serve you some food. In passive or impersonal contexts, the related form tarjoillaan is used to mean “is/are offered” or “is being served,” as in Ruoka tarjoillaan pöytään. The verb’s imperative forms are tarjoile (singular) and tarjoilkaa (plural/formal).

Related terms and usage notes: tarjoilla is closely related in meaning to tarjota, a more general term “to offer.” Tarjoiluun liittyy usein aisteihin liittyvä palvelu ja kohteliaisuus, ja ilmaisut voivat heijastaa sekä tilannetta että kutsuntaa tarjota jotakin käytännöllisesti.