työntää

Työntää is a Finnish verb meaning to push or thrust. It is used for applying physical force to move an object, to insert something into another object, or to force a passage. The primary sense is transitive: the subject causes the object to move by applying force. For example, Hän työntää pöydän syrjään means “He pushes the table aside.” The verb can also denote inserting or forcing something, as in työntää avain lukijaan “to insert a card into a reader.”

In figurative use, työntää can describe urging or pressuring someone or something to act, such as pushing a bill through a legislative body. It can also indicate inserting something in a broader sense, for instance työntää kortti lukijaan “to insert a card into a reader.” The nuance ranges from straightforward physical action to more metaphorical or idiomatic meanings.

Etymology and related forms: työntää derives from the noun työntö, meaning “a push,” with the productive verb ending -ä. Related forms include työntövoima (thrust/propulsive force) and työntäminen (pushing as a noun). The reflexive form työntyä means to push one’s way forward or to intrude into a space, often with the sense of entering through resistance.

Grammar notes: Työntää is a transitive verb and typically takes its object in the genitive (for example, oven, pöydän). It is conjugated according to standard Finnish verb patterns. The present tense forms include minä työnnän, sinä työnnät, hän työntää; the past and other tenses follow regular Finnic verb conjugation rules.

See also: työntö; työntövoima; työntäminen; työntyä.