arveluttavat

Arveluttavat is a Finnish verb form used to express that something raises doubt or suspicion. It is the third-person plural present indicative form of the verb arveluttaa, whose core sense is to cause someone to doubt or to cast doubt on something. The related adjective arveluttava describes something as doubtful or suspicious.

Usage and nuance: Arveluttavat typically refers to claims, findings, data, actions, or situations that invite scrutiny because they seem unreliable, implausible, or inconclusive. The construction commonly appears in journalism, analysis, and public discourse to convey skepticism without asserting a definite judgment. Examples include statements like “Uudet tiedot arveluttavat tilinpäätöksen luotettavuutta” (The new information arouse doubts about the reliability of the financial statements) or “Nämä seikat arveluttavat mahdollisen tarjouksen kannattavuutta” (These factors arouse doubts about the profitability of the potential offer).

Etymology and related forms: Arveluttaa is related to arve (to guess or suppose) and arvelu (doubt or suspicion). Therefore arveluttavat conveys the action of causing doubt. A closely related adjective is arveluttava, meaning “doubtful” or “suspicious.” In stronger language, one might use epäilyttävä, which more directly means “suspicious” but carries a different nuance.

See also: arveluttava, arveluttaa, epäily, epäilyttävä.