nojautuvat

Nojautuvat is the third-person plural present tense form of the Finnish verb nojautua. The verb means to lean or recline against a surface, and it can also be used in a figurative sense to mean relying on or depending on something or someone. The form nojautuvat describes subjects that perform the action in the present.

In literal use, nojautua describes people or objects that lean against a physical support, such as a wall or a railing. In figurative use, the expression can indicate dependence or reliance on a source of support, such as an idea, tradition, or institutional backing. The distinction between physical and figurative leaning is common in everyday Finnish.

Grammatically, nojautuvat is an intransitive verb: it does not take a direct object. It is part of a larger verb family whose other forms include the infinitive nojautua, the singular present forms like nojautuu, and the past tense nojautui. Related forms include the participle nojautuva (leaning) and the noun nojautuminen or nojaus (the act or process of leaning).

Nojautuvat commonly appears in general descriptive or narrative prose and can convey both a physical posture and a metaphorical stance of reliance. The term is standard Finnish and is appropriate in encyclopedic or explanatory contexts when discussing posture, support, or dependence.