Kahtlustasin

Kahtlustasin is a Finnish verb form meaning “I suspected.” It is the first-person singular imperfect (past tense) of the verb kahtustaa, which means to suspect or to feel doubt about something. The related noun kahtelu refers to doubt or suspicion, and the verb is also linked to the broader family of words around doubt and distrust in Finnish.

Etymology and form: Kahtlustaa derives from the root kahtelu, “doubt” or “suspicion.” The form kahtlustasin marks a completed action in the past and is typically used to describe past suspicions or uncertainties. Finnish verbs express tense through endings rather than separate auxiliary verbs, so kahtlustasin stands on its own as a past, finite verb form.

Usage and nuance: Kahtlustasin is used when the speaker recalls having been suspicious at some past time. It often introduces or accompanies a clause with että (“that”), as in kahtlustasin, että hän valehtelee. The verb conveys nuance of doubt or mistrust rather than certainty. In everyday language, more common synonyms for less formal contexts are epäilin or epäilisin, but kahtlustasin emphasizes a past moment of suspicion.

Examples:

- Viime viikolla kahtlustasin, että hän valehtelee.

- En ollut varma, mutta kahtlustasin hänen motivaationsa.

See also: epäillä, epäilys, kahtelu, epäilijä.

Kahtlustasin thus functions as a precise past-tense expression of suspicion, suitable for both written and spoken Finnish when reflecting on a previous state of doubt.

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