Vaihdettaavat

Vaihdettaavat is a Finnish finite verb form used in the active voice. It corresponds to the third-person plural present indicative, indicating that several subjects are performing the action in the current or general present. The form derives from a causative verb stem and is related to the concept of causing another to change or replace something.

Morphology and formation: the root or stem is tied to the causative verb vaihdettaa, which means “to cause to exchange/replace.” Finnish present tense for third-person plural ends in -vat or -vät, depending on vowel harmony, and this combines with the causative stem to produce vaihdettaavat. In contrast, the simple active form vaihtavat would mean “they change” without the causative sense, and the passive form vaihdetaan would mean “it/they are being replaced.”

Usage and context: vaihdettaavat tends to appear in more formal, technical, or maintenance-oriented texts where the author wants to emphasize that the action of causing a substitution or exchange is performed by multiple subjects. It is less common in everyday speech, where speakers typically use simpler forms such as vaihtavat for “they change” or vaihdetaan for “it is exchanged.” The choice between these forms affects nuance: the causative conveys an agent causing the replacement, rather than merely performing the substitution themselves.

Related forms and notes: Finnish verbs with the causative suffix -ttaa can yield forms such as vaihdettaa (infinitive) and the corresponding finite forms. Other related verb families include vaihtaa (to change/swap) and vaihdattaa (to cause to change).ai