toivoisivat

Toivoisivat is the third-person plural present conditional form of the Finnish verb toivoa, meaning “they would hope” or “they would wish.” It is used to express hypothetical desires, wishes, or polite requests. The infinitive of the verb is toivoa, and its present conditional forms follow the standard Finnish mood system for verbs of the -a/-ä type.

In form, toivoisivat is created by taking the conditional stem and adding the plural suffix for third-person subjects. In practice, this yields the form for “they” as toivoisivat. The corresponding singular third-person form is toivoisi (he/she would hope), and other persons have their own forms such as toivoisin (I would hope) and toivoisit (you would hope). The language distinguishes mood (conditional) from the indicative past tense, so toivoisivat expresses hypothetical rather than reported past events.

Usage notes include that the conditional mood in Finnish commonly expresses wishes or hypothetical scenarios and can appear in both main and subordinate clauses. It is often used when discussing possible outcomes, polite requests, or speculative statements about others’ desires. In written Finnish, toivoisivat can introduce nuanced nuance of politeness or tentativeness, especially in formal or hypothetical contexts.

Examples:

- He toivoisivat parempaa tulevaisuutta. (They would hope for a better future.)

- He toivoisivat enemmän aikaa. (They would wish for more time.)

Related forms come from the same verb: toivoa (infinitive), toivoisi (singular conditional), and the past tense form toivoivat (they hoped). Toivoisivat thus occupies the plural, present conditional slot in Finnish verb conjugation.