vaatii

Vaatii is a Finnish verb form that means to demand or to require. It is the third-person singular present indicative form of the verb vaatia and is used to indicate that something requires or necessitates another action, resource, or condition. For example: “Se vaatii paljon aikaa” means “It requires a lot of time,” and “Tämä projekti vaatii tiimityötä” means “This project requires teamwork.”

Grammar and usage notes: Vaatii is transitive and commonly governs an object in the partitive case when the quantity is indefinite, as in “enemmän aikaa” (more time). The verb is conjugated in present tense as minä vaadin, sinä vaadit, hän vaatii, me vaadimme, te vaaditte, he vaativat. The simple past tense is vaati, and the passive present form is vaaditaan (it is demanded/required). In formal or legal contexts, forms like vaadittiin (was demanded) and vaadittu (demanded/required) appear.

Nuance and related terms: Vaatii is typically stronger and more forceful than synonyms such as tarvita or tarvita, which express need or necessity rather than an explicit demand or obligation often imposed by another party. It can convey external pressure, obligation, or criteria that must be met. Common contexts include rules, agreements, projects, and situations where a specific condition or action is required to proceed.

Examples: “Lainsäädäntö vaatii uusia turvallisuusstandardeja,” meaning “Legislation requires new safety standards.” “Se vaatii lisää resursseja,” meaning “It requires additional resources.”