kohdeltava

Kohdeltava is a Finnish term used in medical and linguistic contexts to denote something or someone that should be treated. It is formed from the verb kohdella, meaning “to treat,” with the present passive participle suffix -ttava, which yields the sense “to be treated.” In practice, kohdeltava can function as an adjective or, less commonly, as a noun.

In medical language, kohdeltava often appears in phrases such as kohdeltava potilas or kohdeltavat potilaat, translating roughly to “the patient to be treated” or “the patients to be treated.” The term emphasizes that treatment or intervention is indicated or required, for example in triage, admission decisions, or care planning. It is part of a broader set of expressions used to categorize patients by need for treatment rather than by diagnosis alone.

Grammatically, kohdeltava behaves as an attributive adjective that agrees with the noun it modifies. For example, kohdeltava potilas is singular and kohdeltavat potilaat is plural. The word is relatively specialized and more commonly found in hospital notes, clinical guidelines, and medical education than in everyday speech. It can be seen as somewhat formal or technical, and in many everyday contexts hoidettava (to be treated) is the more common choice.

See also: kohde, kohdella, hoidettava, triage.