paistavat

Paistavat is the third-person plural present indicative form of the Finnish verb paistaa, meaning to fry or sauté. It is used to say that several subjects are frying food, or more generally to state that “they fry.” The corresponding forms in the same tense and mood are: paistan (I fry), paistat (you fry), paistaa (he/she/it fries), paistamme (we fry), paistatte (you fry), paistavat (they fry). In everyday usage, paistavat appears with a plural subject, for example: “He paistavat kananmunia aamulla” meaning “They fry eggs in the morning.”

Finnish verbs do not mark tense with a separate auxiliary as in many languages; paistavat signals present tense and ongoing action. The verb paistaa has related forms such as paistaa in the singular, and the past participle paistettu meaning “fried,” which is used to form adjectives or passive constructions (for example “paistetut perunat” = fried potatoes). The process noun is paistaminen, meaning “frying.” In translation, paistavat is commonly rendered as “fry” or “are frying” depending on context.

Notes for learners: the infinitive is paistaa, which can be difficult since the 3rd-person singular present also appears as paistaa; the context determines the meaning. Finnish verb forms can be used without an explicit subject pronoun; the subject is usually clear from context.

See also: paistaa, paistaminen, paistettu.