haistaa

Haistaa is a Finnish verb meaning to perceive a smell with the nose, i.e., to smell or sniff. It describes both the act of smelling and the general perception of odors in the environment. The verb is transitive and commonly takes a direct object or a noun phrase indicating the odor, for example: "Minä haistan kahvin tuoksun" (I smell the coffee’s aroma) or "Hän haistaa hajun" (He smells an odor). The sense can be pleasant or unpleasant depending on the context.

Grammar and forms: Haistaa belongs to the first conjugation class of Finnish verbs, ending in -a. Present tense forms: haistan, haistat, haistaa, haistamme, haistatte, haistavat. Imperfect past forms: haistin, haistit, haisti, haistoimme, haistoitte, haistivat. The perfect participle is haistanut, used with olla to express "has smelled" (Olen haistanut kahvin tuoksun).

Usage notes: In everyday Finnish, haistaa is the standard verb for detecting odors. For neutral or pleasant-smelling contexts, speakers may also use tuoksua or haju, depending on nuance. The noun haju means smell or odor, and hajuaisti refers to the sense of smell. Haistaa can carry a straightforward, observational tone and is suitable for describing immediate perception of a scent, whether strong or subtle.