suunnittele

Suunnittele is a Finnish verb meaning to plan or to design. It covers activities from outlining a course of action to creating a design for a product, system, or space. The term is used across many fields, including architecture, software development, project management, and urban planning. In everyday language it can refer to both strategic planning and concrete design work.

The infinitive is suunnitella; present tense forms include suunnittelen, suunnittelet, suunnittelee. The imperative singular is suunnittele, used in commands or guidelines. Related noun forms include suunnitelma (a plan), suunnittelu (design or planning), and suunnittelija (designer). The verb is commonly found in compound expressions such as suunnitella ohjelmistoa (to design software) or suunnitella kaupunkia (to plan a city).

Finnish distinguishes between the act of planning (suunnittelu) and the final plan (suunnitelma). The word often appears in contexts that emphasize process and outcome, from early concept work to detailed specifications. Examples in everyday use include instructions in which a person is urged to plan ahead: Suunnittele projekti huolellisesti. The imperative form suositellaan as part of guidance in professional settings, teaching how to proceed with a task or project.

Related terms include suunnittelija, suunnitteluprosessi, and kaupungin suunnittelu. Compounds such as tuotteen suunnittelu (product design) or urbaanin suunnittelu (urban planning) illustrate how suunnittele sits at the center of design and planning disciplines in Finnish.