ohittamaan

Ohittamaan is the infinitive form of the Finnish verb ohittaa, whose core meaning is to pass by in front of something or someone, to overtake, or to bypass. In everyday use it is most common in traffic, where it describes a vehicle moving ahead of another. It can also be used more broadly to mean bypassing or skipping a step, obstacle, or rule.

Grammatical notes: ohittaa is a transitive verb. The infinitive form ohittamaan appears in non-finite clauses and dictionaries as the to-infinitive in some constructions. The verb forms include present tense: minä ohitan, sinä ohitat, hän ohittaa, me ohitamme, te ohitatte, he ohittavat; and imperfect: minä ohitin, sinä ohitit, hän ohitti, me ohitimme, te ohititte, he ohittivat. The passive form is ohitetaan (present) and ohitettiin (past). The noun ohittaminen refers to the act of overtaking, and ohittaja can mean the overtaker.

Usage and nuance: in traffic, ohittaa typically means to pass another vehicle by moving ahead of it. Figuratively, it can mean to bypass a process, to skip a step, or to disregard something, depending on context. The term is common in news reports, sports, and everyday speech when describing movement past a physical or procedural barrier.

Related terms: ohitus (the act of overtaking), ohituskaista (passing lane), and phrases built from the root ohi, meaning “past” or “over.” See also other compounds that describe movement past objects or regulations.

External context: as a Finnish verb, ohittamaan and its forms are standard in dictionaries and language guidance, reflecting both literal overtaking and broader notions of bypassing or skipping.