taittuvat

Taittuvat is a Finnish word best known as a verb form and, in some contexts, as a descriptor for objects with a folding or bending capability. In its primary usage, taittuvat is the third-person plural present indicative form of the verb taittua, which means to bend, fold, or buckle. It is used when referring to subjects that fold or bend, for example: Nämä ikkunat taittuvat helposti, meaning These windows fold (open) easily.

Grammatical role and formation: The form taittuvat reflects a plural subject performing the action in the present tense. Finnic languages commonly attach suffixes to a verb stem to indicate person and number, and taittuvat follows this pattern for third-person plural. The base verb taittua conveys a sense of becoming folded, bent, or curved, and taittuvat specifically marks that the action is carried out by multiple subjects.

Adjectival use and related terms: While taittuvat can appear in sentences as a finite verb, Finnish also employs participial and adjectival forms to describe folding properties. The related present active participle taittuva is more commonly used to describe something that is folding or foldable, as in taittuva kappale (“a folding part”). For products or features that are designed to fold, Finnish speakers more often use adjectives like taittuva or the noun form taittuvuus to discuss the capability.

Etymology: Taittua derives from a root related to bending or folding, with -vat marking the third-person plural present tense. The word connects to broader Finnish words for bending, folding, and flexibility.

See also: taittuva, taittuvuus, Finnish grammar, Finnish verbs.