opiskelevat

Opiskelevat is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Finnish verb opiskella, meaning to study. In Finnish, the present tense commonly covers both current actions and habitual activities, so opiskelevat can translate as “they study” or “they are studying” depending on the context. The form is created by adding the plural present suffix -vat or -vät to the verb stem, according to vowel harmony, yielding opiskelevat.

Usage of opiskelevat typically involves plural subjects such as opiskelijat (students), nuoret, or he, and it often appears with location or field-of-study phrases. It commonly collocates with places of study like yliopistossa (at the university) or koulussa (at school), and with names of subjects, for example matematiikkaa or biologiaa. The tense does not convey completed action; if a completed action is intended, Finnish would use a different tense or aspect.

Examples:

- He opiskelevat yliopistossa. (They study at the university.)

- Nämä opiskelijat opiskelevat matematiikkaa ja kemiaa. (These students study mathematics and chemistry.)

- He opiskelevat nyt kemiaa ja fysiikkaa. (They are currently studying chemistry and physics.)

Related terms include opiskelu (studying), opiskelija (student), and opiskella (to study). Opiskelevat serves as a common, neutral depiction of multiple subjects engaged in study in contemporary Finnish.