The Past Passive Participle (-tu/-ty)
In Finnish, you can turn a verb into an adjective that describes a completed action using the past passive participle. These words typically end in -tu or -ty, depending on vowel harmony.
They act exactly like normal adjectives and can be placed directly before a noun or after the verb olla (to be). For example, korjata (to repair) becomes korjattu (repaired), and puhdistaa (to clean) becomes puhdistettu (cleaned).
| This is a repaired wooden armchair. | Tämä on korjattu puinen nojatuoli. |
| That repaired armchair is really comfortable. | Tuo korjattu nojatuoli on todella mukava. |
| This old light fixture is cleaned. | Tämä vanha valaisin on puhdistettu. |
The spelling before the -tu/-ty suffix depends on the verb type, but the endings remain highly recognizable. For example, verhoilla (to upholster) becomes verhoiltu (upholstered), and kaivertaa (to engrave) becomes kaiverrettu (engraved).
| The upholstered sofa costs a hundred euros. | Verhoiltu sohva maksaa sata euroa. |
| This engraved piece of jewelry is an awesome find. | Tämä kaiverrettu koru on mahtava löytö. |
Checking the Condition
When evaluating secondhand items, you might check if a koriste (decoration) is ehjä (intact, unbroken) or if it has a naarmu (scratch).
| The vase is otherwise intact, but it has a small scratch in it. | Maljakko on muuten ehjä, mutta siinä on pieni naarmu. |
| The wooden decoration is still intact. | Puinen koriste on yhä ehjä. |
Common Participles and Spoken Forms
Here are a few essential participle forms to recognize:
- maalata (to paint) -> maalattu (painted)
- pestä (to wash) -> pesty (washed)
- tehdä (to make) -> tehty (made)
Note that in casual spoken Finnish, you will often hear tää instead of tämä (this) and toi instead of tuo (that).
| This is a painted chair, and that is a washed rug. | Tää on maalattu tuoli, ja toi on pesty matto. |
| That silver watch is made in Finland. | Tuo hopeinen kello on tehty Suomessa. |