juotavaa

Juotavaa is a Finnish adjective meaning drinkable or suitable for drinking. It is formed from the verb juoda (to drink) with the suffix -ttava, which yields an adjective indicating capability or suitability. The form juotavaa is the partitive singular used when describing an indefinite quantity of liquid or after certain verbs, for example after olla (to be) in predicative constructions or in noun phrases like juotavaa vettä.

In everyday use, juotavaa is used to indicate that a liquid is safe or appropriate to drink. Common collocations include juotavaa vettä (drinkable water), juotavaa maitoa (drinkable milk), and juotavaa kahvia (drinkable coffee). In questions or negations you may hear: Onko tämä juotavaa? or Tämä vesi ei ole juotavaa.

The term is often found on consumer information, safety guidelines, and labeling, helping to distinguish drinking water and other liquids from those that are not suitable for consumption. Etymologically, juotavaa is related to other Finnish -va/-vä adjectives describing usability, such as syötävää (edible) and asuttavaa (habitable).

In summary, juotavaa is a pragmatic Finnish descriptor used to classify liquids as potable or consumable, widely understood in everyday language and standardized contexts.