Katettuun

Katettuun is a Finnish inflected form of the past participle katettu, which means “covered” or “laid” and is derived from the verb kattaa, meaning to cover or to set (the table). In Finnish, participles can function as adjectives and are declined to agree with the noun they modify in number and case. Katettuun is the illative singular form of katettu, used when the modified noun is in the illative case (motion toward into or onto something).

As an adjective form, katettuun appears in noun phrases describing a set or prepared state of an object, and its exact meaning depends on the noun it accompanies and its grammatical case. The illative form indicates a directional or inward relationship, such as describing where something is going toward or into a context involving a “set” or “laid” object.

Usage and style: katettuun tends to occur in more formal, literary, or descriptive Finnish. In everyday speech, speakers may opt for simpler constructions or omit the participial inflection when the meaning is clear from context. Because it is a specific case form of a participial adjective, katettuun is one of several related forms (e.g., katetun, katettuun, katetulla) that illustrate how Finnish adjectives derived from verbs reflect grammatical role.

See also: katettu, kattaa, Finnish grammar, Finnish participles and adjectives.