potkahtavat

Potkahtavat is a Finnish verb form. It is the third-person plural present indicative form of the verb potkahtaa, meaning to kick. The infinitive potkahtaa is used for the uninflected form; potkahtaa belongs to a common class of Finnish -htaa verbs and is transitive, typically taking a direct object.

In use, potkahtavat denotes that several subjects perform a kicking action. This can be literal, as when people kick a ball or object, or figurative, describing actions that are started or triggered, such as bringing a process into motion. In idiomatic expressions, potkahtaa is often combined with other words to convey idioms like “kick into gear.”

Grammatical notes: Potkahtavat is restricted to plural subjects in the present tense. It is one of many finite forms derived from the same verb stem potkaht-; other person-number forms of potkahtaa exist in the language.

Etymology: The verb derives from potkaista or potkahtaa, related to the root potka- meaning to strike with the foot. The -htaa suffix is a typical infinitive form in this class of Finnish verbs.

See also: potkaista, Finnish verbs, Finnish grammar.