Toivottavaa

Toivottavaa is a Finnish word that functions as a predicative part of speech derived from the verb toivoa, meaning “to hope.” In practical use it expresses something that is desirable or worth hoping for. It is not an imperative or a direct instruction; rather, it signals a hoped-for or favorable outcome in formal or semi-formal contexts.

Grammatically, toivottavaa comes from the adjective stem toivottava (to be hoped for) and appears in the partitive singular form toivottavaa when used as a predicate after verbs like on, or in clauses following että. This form is typical in Finnish predicate constructions that describe general desirability or recommendation without asserting a definite occurrence.

Usage of toivottavaa is common in policy, governance, and reporting language, where speakers or writers indicate preferred or desirable outcomes without asserting certainty. For example, one might say: On toivottavaa, että kaikki saavat mahdollisuuden osallistua. This translates roughly to “It is desirable that everyone has the opportunity to participate.” Another example is Se on toivottavaa, mutta ei varmaa, meaning “That is desirable, but not certain.” The phrase can also appear in subordinate clauses introduced by että: On tärkeää, että tilanne on toivottavaa in some contexts.

Etymology and related forms: toivottavaa is built from the verb toivoa with the suffix -ttava, which forms a verbal adjective indicating something that should or could be hoped for. Related forms include toivottava (the adjective) and the noun-like use in other predicative constructions. In contrast, toivoa remains the base verb, used for actual wishing or hoping activities.