silettää

Silettää is a Finnish verb that translates to "to flatten," "to smooth," or "to iron." It is commonly used in everyday language to describe the action of making a surface flat or smooth, often with the use of a tool. For example, one might silettää a piece of dough before baking, or silettää wrinkles out of a shirt with an iron. The word can also be used figuratively to mean to resolve or smooth over a difficult situation, although this usage is less common.

The verb's root is "sileä," meaning smooth or flat. This connection highlights the core meaning of the action. In the context of laundry, silettää specifically refers to ironing clothes. When applied to food preparation, it describes the process of making dough or batter even. Figuratively, it can imply a gentle but firm approach to problem-solving, aiming to remove "wrinkles" or complications.

The conjugation of silettää follows typical Finnish verb patterns. Its past tense is "siletti" and its present tense is "silettää." Understanding the context is key to interpreting the precise meaning of the verb, as it can range from a literal physical action to a more abstract concept of resolving issues.