Jäin

Jäin is a Finnish verb form meaning “I stayed” or “I remained.” It is the first-person singular past tense of the verb jäädä, which can mean to stay, remain, or be left in a certain state. The form signals a completed action in the past and is commonly used in everyday narration to describe where one was or what one ended up doing.

In ordinary use, jäin can express literal staying in a location as well as figurative persistence or remaining in a situation. For example, Minä jäin kotiin means “I stayed at home,” and Hän jäi ilman eväitä means “He was left without provisions.” The form also appears in phrases describing being left in a certain condition, such as remaining behind or continuing to be in a state after an event.

Jäin forms part of a larger conjugation set for jäädä, with other persons and tenses forming accordingly (for example, sinä jäit, hän jäi, me jäimme). The base verb jäädä is related to similar Finnic roots found in languages like Estonian (jääda, to stay), reflecting shared linguistic heritage.

Etymology and related forms: Jäin derives from the Finnish verb jäädä, itself from the Finnic root associated with staying or remaining. The word is used across different registers of Finnish, from everyday speech to written narration, to indicate past action centered on location or state.

See also: jäädä, jää.