osaavat

Osaavat is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Finnish verb osata, meaning to know how to do something or to be capable. It functions as a finite verb and expresses a present-day capability of the subject(s). The corresponding forms are osaan, osaat, osaa, osaamme, osaatte, osaavat.

In usage, osaavat describes abilities across a wide range of domains, from practical tasks to language skills or theoretical knowledge. Examples include phrases like "he osaavat pelata jalkapalloa" (they know how to play football) or "he osaavat puhua kolme kieltä" (they know how to speak three languages). In subordinate clauses, it can appear as "että he osaavat ratkaista ongelman" (that they know how to solve the problem). Negative constructions use eivät osaa: "he eivät osaa soittaa pianoa" (they do not know how to play the piano).

Morphology and syntax: osa- is the verb stem, and the ending -vat/-vät marks the present tense for the third-person plural, reflecting Finnish vowel harmony. Because osata is an irregular verb in some forms, learners typically memorize the full paradigm: osaan, osaat, osaa, osaamme, osaatte, osaavat.

Related terms include osata as the infinitive form, osaaminen meaning competence or ability, and taito meaning skill. Osaavat is a common word in everyday Finnish and is frequently used to describe a person or group’s capabilities in communication, education, work, and other activities.