Passiivi - Passive Voice 🔄 #

2026-03-22

The passive voice in Finnish is used when the action is more important than who performs it, or when the agent is unknown, obvious, or irrelevant.

Formation #

The Finnish passive is formed by adding -taan/-tään to the verb stem (or first infinitive for types 2-6):

Structure by Verb Type #

Verb Type 1: Direct stem + -taan/-tään #

Most Type 1 verbs add -taan/-tään directly to the stem:

Stem ending in a/ä: Change the stem-final vowel to e before adding -taan/-tään:

Verb Types 2-6: First infinitive + -an/-än #

Take the first infinitive (verb type dictionary form) and add -an/-än (harmonising with the stem):

Key Features #

1. KPT Variation #

The passive always uses weak grade for KPT variation:

• Type 1 stems are already weak
• Types 2-6 need to change to weak grade in their infinitive form

2. Person Markers #

The passive does NOT have person markers. It is always expressed in the same form, regardless of who performs the action (I, you, he, she, we, they):

• Suomessa juodaan paljon kahvia.

  • (In Finland, [people] drink a lot of coffee.)
  • Literally: “In Finland, coffee is drunk a lot.”

• Täällä puhutaan suomea.

  • (Here, [people] speak Finnish.)
  • Literally: “Here, Finnish is spoken.”

3. Tense Formation #

Present Passive: Stem + taan/tään

Past Passive: Stem + ttiin

Main uses of the present passive #

1. Suggestions — “Let’s …” #

The same -taan/-tään form is used for friendly proposals. There is no overt subject; the sense is “let’s” or “shall we”:

• Mennään teatteriin huomenna! — Let’s go to the theatre tomorrow!
• Käydään kaupassa! — Let’s go to the shop!

2. Colloquial “we” (me-muoto) #

In spoken Finnish, me + passive-shaped verb often means “we”, not a suggestion:

Important: Keep me when you mean “we”. If you drop me (Mennään baariin.), the sentence reads as “Let’s go to the bar”, not “we go”.

3. When the doer does not matter #

Passive is natural for habits, general truths, and situations where who acts is unknown or irrelevant (see also below):

• Suomessa juodaan paljon kahvia. — In Finland, people drink a lot of coffee.
• Junalla matkustetaan paljon. — People travel a lot by train.

Common Passive Expressions #

General Statements (No Specific Agent) #

• Suomessa juodaan paljon kahvia. (In Finland, a lot of coffee is drunk [by people in general].)
• Junalla matkustetaan paljon. (Trains are used a lot for traveling.)
• Täällä ruotsia puhutaan. (Swedish is spoken here.)

Impersonal Instructions/Advice #

• Ovia ei saa hakata. (Doors should not be hit.)
• Kenen tahansa kanssa ei keskustella. (One doesn’t talk with just anyone.)

When the Agent is Unknown or Irrelevant #

• Tämä omakotitalo rakennettiin 1980-luvulla. (This single-family house was built in the 1980s.)
• Hänet kutsuttiin juhliin. (He/she was invited to the party.)

As a Polite Alternative to Direct Address #

• Instead of: “You need to come early.”
• Say: “Tulla pitää ajoissa.” (One needs to come on time / [It] needs to be come on time.)

Full Conjugation Examples #

Present Passive #

Past Passive #

Negative Passive #

Structure: Negation + passive verb

Active vs. Passive Comparison #

Important Usage Notes #

1. Suggestions vs. colloquial “we”

   • Teatteriin mennään. — suggestion or impersonal (“let’s go / one goes”); compare Mennään teatteriin! (“Let’s go!”).
   • Me mennään teatteriin. — colloquial “we’re going to the theatre” (keep me for “we”).

2. No agent expression in Finnish passive

   • Unlike English, Finnish passive doesn’t readily express “by whom”
   • Kirja kirjoitettiin Helsingissä. (The book was written in Helsinki.)
   • [NOT: Kirja kirjoitettiin hänellä - doesn’t work in Finnish]

3. Generality and habit

   • Passive is often used to express general habits, universal truths, or common practices
   • Perjantaina juhlitaan. (On Friday, [people] celebrate.)

Common Passive Verbs Table #

Tips for Learning #

1. Remember weak grade for KPT variation
2. Practice with common verbs first - they’re often irregular in subtle ways
3. Notice the context - passive is often used in formal writing
4. Understand that passive is impersonal - no specific subject
5. Compare with “one does” in English for understanding
6. Practice with both present (-taan) and past (-ttiin) forms