jäisivät

jäisivät is a Finnish verb form that represents the third-person plural conditional mood of the verb jäädä, meaning to stay or remain. It is used to express actions that would take place under a certain condition, often in hypothetical clauses introduced by words like jos or kun.

Morphology and usage in Finnish: The form jäisivät is built from the verb stem jää- or jäädä and carries the conditional mood, marking a hypothetical or possible outcome. It follows the same general pattern as other verbs in the conditional plural, such as tekisivät or menisivät, making a statement about what would happen to “they” under the right circumstances.

Typical meanings: The core translation is “they would stay” or “they would remain,” but the nuance depends on the context. It is commonly used in discussions of alternative scenarios, plans contingent on conditions, or reported hypothetical statements.

Examples:

- Jos rahat riittäisivät, he jäisivät lomalle. (If the money were sufficient, they would stay on holiday.)

- Jos tilanne paranisi, he jäisivät paikoilleen. (If the situation improved, they would remain where they are.)

- Hän sanoi, että he jäisivät mielellään. (He said that they would stay gladly.)

Related forms and notes:

-jäisin, jäisit, jäisimme, jäisitte are other conditional forms corresponding to different subjects.

-The form is distinct from the present tense jäivät, which means “they stayed” in a non-hypothetical, past sense.

In summary, jäisivät is a key conditional form used to discuss hypothetical staying or remaining by a plural subject in Finnish.