taluttaa

Taluttaa is a Finnish verb meaning to lead by hand or to guide someone or something along a path. It emphasizes a physical, direct action of guiding, often when assistance or hand-holding is involved. The verb is commonly used for guiding people, children, or animals, as well as for escorting someone to a destination.

In typical use, taluttaa describes concrete, manual guidance. For example, Hän taluttaa lasta käsipuolessa means “He leads the child by the hand,” and Hän taluttaa koiraa translates to “He leads the dog.” The sense can extend to escorting someone to a place, such as leading a person home or along a route. The form can also be used metaphorically in some contexts to indicate guiding someone through a process, though other verbs like johtaa are often preferred for more abstract leadership.

Grammatically, taluttaa is a regular Finnish verb of the -uttaa class. The present tense forms are talutan (I lead), talutat (you lead), taluttaa (he/she leads), talutamme (we lead), talutatte (you lead), taluttavat (they lead). The past tense is talutti (led) and taluttivat (led). The passive form is talutetaan (is led / are being led). The imperative singular is taluta (lead!), and the plural imperative is taluttakaa (lead!).

The word is native to Finnish and contrasts with more abstract leadership verbs such as johtaa or ohjata, which describe guiding or directing in a broader sense.Taluttaa thus fills a distinct role for physical, hands-on guidance in both everyday and descriptive usage.