Valmistauduttava

Valmistauduttava is a Finnish grammatical form described in dictionaries and grammar texts as the passive present participle of the verb valmistautua (to prepare oneself). It denotes something that is to be prepared for or that one must prepare for, and it is most often found in formal or written Finnish. In everyday speech, speakers tend to use simpler constructions (such as variants of valmistautua) instead of the participial form.

Morphology and usage

The form is created by attaching the suffix -ttava to the stem valmistaudu-, yielding valmistauduttava. As a participle, it functions like an adjective and can modify a noun or appear in a predicative position. Because Finnish participles decline like adjectives, valmistauduttava agrees with the noun it describes in number and case. The sense conveyed is typically forward-looking, indicating that preparation is or will be required, undertaken, or appropriate in the given context.

Frequency and register

Valmistauduttava is relatively specialized and is most likely to appear in written, technical, or descriptive texts, such as grammar references, formal instruction, or official documents. It is less common in casual spoken Finnish, where speakers prefer infinitives and periphrastic constructions to express similar ideas.

Etymology and related forms

The word combines the verb valmistaudua/valmistautua with the passive-present participle suffix -ttava, a productive pattern in Finnish for creating adjectives meaning “to be Xed” or “to be about to X.” Related forms include other participles of valmistautua, and the related verb valmistautua itself, which is the base meaning “to prepare oneself.”

See also: valmistautua, valmistautuminen, valmistauduttaa (grammar reference forms)