Katsottu

Katsottu is the past passive participle of the Finnish verb katsoa, meaning “watched” or “viewed.” It is used to express that something has been watched or viewed, with the action performed on the subject by an outside agent. Unlike the active past participle form katsonnut, katsottu denotes a passive result or state rather than the subject’s own action.

Etymology and morphology: Katsottu is formed from the stem katso- plus the suffix -ttu and the past participle ending -u, producing katsottu. It is used with the auxiliary olla to form perfect passive constructions, as in elokuva on katsottu, meaning “the film has been watched.”

Usage: In everyday Finnish, katsottu mainly appears in written or formal contexts to describe objects rather than agents. It can function as a pre-nominal modifier in noun phrases: katsottu elokuva (the watched film) or katsottuja ohjelmia (watched programs). The form agrees in number with the noun: katsottu elokuva, katsotut elokuvat. It is distinct from katsonnut, the active past participle indicating that a person has watched something (e.g., olen katsonnut elokuvan).

Examples:

- Elokuva on katsottu. The film has been watched.

- Katsottu ohjelma herätti keskustelua. The program that has been watched sparked discussion.

- Katsotut elokuvat ovat saatavilla verkossa. The watched/watched films are available online.

See also: katsoa, Finnish grammar, participles.