hoitavat

Hoitavat is a Finnish verb form meaning "they take care of" or "they care for." It is the third-person plural present indicative form of the verb hoitaa, which denotes caring for, looking after, or tending to someone or something.

Grammatically, hoitaa is the infinitive form. In the present indicative, the forms include minä hoidan, sinä hoidat, hän hoitaa, me hoidamme, te hoidatte, and he hoitavat. Thus, hoitavat marks a plural subject performing the action in the present tense.

In use, hoitavat is employed to describe multiple subjects engaged in caregiving or maintenance tasks. Examples include: He hoitavat potilaita sairaalassa (They care for patients in a hospital), Hoitajat hoitavat vanhuksia palvelutaloissa (Nurses care for the elderly in care homes). The verb is transitive and commonly appears with an object referring to people, patients, children, the elderly, or other individuals who receive care, as well as with non-personal objects requiring tending or management.

Notes and related terms: hoitaa is the base verb; hoito refers to the act of care or treatment. The form hoitavat does not function as a noun in standard Finnish; it is strictly a verb form used to describe plural subjects performing the action in the present tense. The word illustrates Finnish subject-verb agreement and the characteristic -vat ending for third-person plural present indicative.