In Finnish, sentences describing an action without a specific subject (like "is censored" or "was confiscated") use the passive voice. When you use a passive verb, an important change happens to its object.
In an active sentence, a complete or "total" object usually takes the accusative case (ending in -n). However, in a passive sentence, this -n ending is dropped. The total object takes the basic, endingless nominative case.
| This manuscript is censored immediately. | Tämä käsikirjoitus sensuroidaan heti. |
| An illegal book is always confiscated. | Laiton kirja takavarikoidaan aina. |
Past Tense Passives
This case drop rule applies regardless of the verb's tense. Whether the action happens in the present or the past, a total passive object remains in the nominative case.
| The news was censored yesterday. | Uutinen sensuroitiin eilen. |
| An important message was smuggled into the country. | Tärkeä viesti salakuljetettiin maahan. |
| Because of censorship, the movie was confiscated. | Sensuurin takia elokuva takavarikoitiin. |
Partitive Objects in the Passive
The passive object rule only applies to total objects (by overriding the -n ending). If a verb inherently requires a partitive object, or if the action is continuous and the noun is uncountable, the object stays in the partitive case—even in the passive voice.
For example, the verb rajoittaa (to restrict) always takes a partitive object. Notice how sananvapaus (freedom of speech) becomes the partitive sananvapautta in these passive sentences.
| Here freedom of speech is restricted quickly. | Täällä rajoitetaan nopeasti sananvapautta. |
| Why is freedom of speech restricted in this country? | Miksi sananvapautta rajoitetaan tässä maassa? |