tähtää

Tähtää is a Finnish verb that means to aim or to intend, and it is used both in physical and figurative senses. In the physical sense, tähtää describes directing one’s aim toward a target. In the figurative sense, it means to have a goal or objective, to intend or to be aimed at a purpose.

Common uses include describing aiming at a target or goal, as in sports or shooting, and describing plans or strategies that are directed toward a certain audience or outcome. For example, hän tähtää olympiakultaa means he aims for Olympic gold, and ohjelma tähtää nuoriin indicates that the program is targeted at young people. The verb can also be used with a broader sense of making something one's aim or priority.

Morphology and syntax notes: tähtää is used in present tense for third person singular, as in hän tähtää. The verb follows standard Finnish verb conjugation patterns for verbs ending in -ä, with regular forms in other tenses and moods when combined with appropriate auxiliary verbs or participles. It can take prepositional phrases to specify the target or audience, such as kohti maalia (toward the goal) or nuorille (for young people).

Etymology and related forms: tähtää is a native Finnish verb. It is related conceptually to words such as tähtäin (sight or aiming device) and to nominal forms that express the act or direction of aiming. These related terms reflect the core idea of directing attention, effort, or resources toward a specific target.

Overall, tähtää is a versatile verb used to express both literal aiming and figurative aiming toward goals or audiences, with common applications in sports, planning, and communication.