osoittaa

Osoittaa is a Finnish verb meaning to show, indicate, point out, or display. It covers both concrete actions, such as directing attention to something, and abstract demonstrations, such as presenting evidence or signs. The verb is widely used across everyday language, science, and media.

Common usages include: indicating a fact or result, as in Tutkimus osoittaa, että ilmasto muuttuu (The study shows that the climate is changing); pointing to a location, as in Sormeni osoittavat oikealle (My fingers point to the right); and presenting something to another person, for example Hän osoitti minulle reitin (He showed me the route). In visual or symbolic contexts, osoittaa can mean to display or mark, such as grafiikoita osoittavat trendit (the graphs show trends).

Conjugation and forms are regular for a Finnish verb of the -ta/-tä type. Present tense forms are: osoitan, osoitat, osoittaa, osoitamme, osoitatte, osoittavat. Past tense forms are: osoitin, osoitit, osoitti, osoitimme, osoititte, osoittivat. The past participle is osoittanut, used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses (olen osoittanut). The passive form is osoitetaan, used to describe what is shown or indicated by someone or something.

Nuances and synonyms: whereas näytän or näyttää is a more everyday alternative for “to show,” osoittaa can carry stronger sense of pointing out a conclusion, evidence, or a sign. In scientific and formal writing, osoittaa is common for presenting findings or indications, while in casual speech it often functions as "to show" in a broad sense.