sivellä

Sivellä is a Finnish verb whose core meaning is to spread, smear, or apply a substance to a surface by rubbing or brushing. It describes moving a substance over something so that it covers or coats it, often with a light or even distribution. The action can be physical and practical, such as applying and smoothing a substance, or more informal, like brushing a surface as you move along it.

Common contexts for sivellä include cooking, cosmetics, and crafts. In cooking, it is used to describe spreading something onto another food item, for example sivellä voita leivälle (to spread butter on bread). In cosmetics or medicine, it refers to applying a cream or ointment to the skin, as in sivellä voidetta iholle. In crafts or painting, the verb can denote moving a coating across a surface, though more specialized verbs like levittää or voidella may be used depending on the material and technique.

Sivellä often involves a deliberate, even action and is frequently performed with an implement or with the hand. The related noun sivellin (brush) highlights the typical tool used to carry out the action in painting or applying coatings. The form is a standard Finnish verb and conjugates like other regular verbs, with subject and mood determining the exact ending in sentences.

See also: sivellin, levittää, voidella.