Asutati

Asutati is an Estonian verb form meaning "was established" or "were established." It is the past tense passive form of the verb asutama (to establish, to found).

In Estonian, the passive past is formed with the suffix -ti, and the verb does not specify the agent; the number and person of the subject are determined by the surrounding sentence. Asutati is commonly used in historical, encyclopedic, or formal narration to indicate that an entity—such as a city, institution, or company—came into being at a given time, without stating who founded it.

Examples of usage include: Linn asutati 1789 aastal. (The town was established in 1789.) Ettevõte asutati pärast sõda. (The company was established after the war.) In active voice, the corresponding form would be asutas, used when the subject is the agent performing the founding (for example, "founders established the city"), whereas asutati leaves the agent unspecified.

Related terms include asutama (to establish), which is the active counterpart, and asutus (an establishment, institution). Asutati is primarily encountered in formal, historical, or encyclopedic writing, where concise reporting of events is common. It is part of standard Estonian verb morphology and reflects the broader system of passive constructions in the language.