tulkittava

Tulkittava is a Finnish present participle form of the verb tulkita, which means to interpret or translate. As an adjective, tulkittava describes something that is to be interpreted or that is subject to interpretation, and in English it is often rendered as “to be interpreted” or “interpretable.” The form is created by adding the participial suffix -va to the verb stem tulkitta- and can be declined like other Finnish adjectives, with forms such as tulkittava (nominative), tulkittavan (genitive), and tulkittavaa (partitive).

Usage and nuance: In academic, linguistic, or editorial contexts, tulkittava marks content whose meaning depends on interpretation rather than on straightforward fact. It contrasts with tulkittu (“interpreted”) or with kääntäminen (“translation”), which denote completed interpretation or translation. The term commonly appears in phrases like “tulkittava teksti” (text to be interpreted) or “tulkittava merkitys” (meaning to be interpreted). Related terms include tulkinta (interpretation), tulkita (to interpret), and tulkitsija (interpreter).