koputtavat

Koputtavat is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Finnish verb koputtaa, meaning to knock or to rap. The form is used when the subject of the sentence is a plural noun or pronoun, and it denotes an ongoing or habitual action in the present. In everyday language, koputtavat can describe people or objects making a knocking sound, such as hands or knuckles tapping on a surface.

Usage and meanings

The core meaning of koputtaa is to strike a surface to announce one’s presence or to create a knocking sound. A common usage is knocking on a door: they knock on the door can be rendered as he koputtavat oveen or he koputtavat ovelle, depending on the intended nuance. The verb can also describe other knocking or tapping actions, such as tapping a table or wall.

Grammar and related forms

Koputtaa is a regular verb in the -uttaa conjugation class. Present tense forms include: minä koputan, sinä koputat, hän koputtaa, me koputamme, te koputatte, he koputtavat. The word koputtava serves as the present participle meaning “knocking,” and koputus is the noun form meaning “the knocking” or “the knocking sound.”

Etymology and context

Koputtaa derives from a Finnish root associated with knocking sounds, with koputus forming the related noun. The term is common in standard Finnish and used across formal and informal registers to describe the act of knocking or tapping.

See also

koputus, koputtava, koputtaa (infinitive form), Finnish verb conjugation.