Istuimme

Istuimme is a Finnish verb form meaning “we sat.” It is the first-person plural imperfect tense of the verb istua, which means to sit. In Finnish, the imperfect tense is used for past actions, and the form istuimme can be translated simply as “we sat,” though in context it can also convey “we were sitting.”

Morphology and related forms: The form is created from the verb stem of istua and the 1st-person plural past-tense ending. It is typically used with an implicit subject we, though it can be reinforced with the pronoun me for emphasis. Other past-tense forms of istua include istuin (I sat), istuit (you sat), istui (he/she sat), istuimme (we sat), and istuivat (they sat).

Usage: In narratives and descriptions, istuimme marks a past seating action involving the speaker and at least one other person. Finnish generally lacks a distinct continuous aspect, so the distinction between “we sat” and “we were sitting” relies on context rather than a separate tense. The form appears in everyday speech as well as literature, especially when describing scenes, conversations, or interrupted actions.

Example: Me istuimme lattiaa vasten ja juttelimme pitkään. Translation: We sat on the floor and talked for a long time.