muodostuvatko

Muodostuvatko is a Finnish verb form used to ask whether something in plural is formed or comes into being. It is the interrogative version of the present-tense third-person plural form of the intransitive verb muodostua, which generally means to form, arise, or be formed. The sentence structure uses the question particle -ko/-kö attached to the finite verb, yielding a yes/no question.

Morphology and examples

The base present tense forms of muodostua include: minä muodostun, sinä muodostut, hän muodostuu, me muodostumme, te muodostutte, he muodostuvat. To make a yes/no question about a plural subject, the form becomes muodostuvatko. For a singular subject, the corresponding interrogative is muodostuuko. Examples:

- Muodostuvatko nämä osat kokonaisuudeksi? (Do these parts form a whole?)

- Mistä muodostuvat nämä ryhmät? (What are these groups made up of?)

Usage

Muodostuvatko is typically used when the speaker asks whether a process or outcome of formation involves multiple items or elements. It can refer to physical assembly, organizational formation, or more abstract processes such as linguistic or chemical composition. The question particle does not change the meaning of muodostua itself; it only marks the sentence as a question. In Finnish discourse, a yes/no question may also be formed with different word orders or with other question words, but muodostuvatko is a common and standard way to inquire about plural formation.

Relation to related forms

Related forms include muodostuuko (singular or generic “does it form?”) and the declarative muodotuvat (they are formed). Understanding the -ko/-kö suffix and its harmony helps with forming other Finnish question constructions as well.