This is the 611th most frequent Finnish word.
tulivat
"Came" (past tense of "come").
Here, 'tulivat' is the past tense plural form of the verb 'tulla' (to come), indicating that the subject (they) arrived home at some time in the past.
He tulivat kotiin illalla.
They came home in the evening.
In this example, 'tulivat' is used metaphorically as part of the verb phrase 'tulivat ymmärtämään' (came to understand), showing a figurative arrival at understanding.
Hitaasti he tulivat ymmärtämään tilanteen vakavuuden.
Slowly, they came to understand the seriousness of the situation.
Here, 'tulivat' is used to describe physical movement, indicating that everyone exited the house upon hearing the alarm.