nojaavat

Nojaavat is a Finnish verb form meaning “they lean” or “they rely on.” It is the third-person plural present indicative form of the verb nojaa, which carries senses related to physical support as well as figurative reliance. The root noja conveys the idea of contact, support, or a point of contact, and related forms such as nojaava can function as an adjective meaning “leaning” or “reliant.”

Etymology and related forms: The word derives from Finnish noja, a noun referring to a support or backrest, with the verb nojaa built to express an action or posture involving contact with a surface. Nojaavat thus covers both literal leaning against something and metaphorical dependence on a person, plan, or institution. Other related forms include nojaa (to lean/rely), nojaa, nojaan, nojaat in various person forms, and nojaava as an adjective.

Usage: In everyday Finnish, nojaavat is used to describe multiple subjects engaging in leaning or relying on something. Examples include: Henkilöt nojaavat toisiinsa. (People lean on one another.) Monien yhteiskunnallisten ilmiöiden nähdään nojaavan yleiseen konsensukseen. (Many social phenomena are said to rely on a general consensus.) The term is flexible and commonly appears in both physical and metaphorical contexts.

See also: Nojaava, the related participial form, is used to describe something that is leaning or dependent, while the verb nojaa covers the action and its grammatical variations. In translation, nojaavat can correspond to “they lean” or “they rely on,” depending on context.