Kertoivat

Kertoivat is a Finnish verb form, the third-person plural past tense of kertoa, which means “to tell” or “to relate.” In English, it is typically translated as “they told” or “they reported.” The form is used when multiple subjects conveyed information or recounted something in the past, whether as direct speech or as part of a narrative.

Grammatical notes: Kertoa belongs to the native Finnish -oa verbs. Its past tense forms include kerroin (I told), kerroit (you told), kertoi (he/she told), kerroimme (we told), kerroitte (you all told), and kertoivat (they told). The specific form kertoivat marks both past tense and a plural subject. Like other Finnish verbs, kertoa can take objects in appropriate cases and can introduce subordinate clauses with että or other conjunctions to report what was said.

Uses and examples: Kertoivat is common in storytelling, reporting, and journalism. Examples include:

- He kertoivat tarinan. They told a story.

- He kertoivat minulle tarinan. They told me a story.

- He kertoivat, mitä tapahtui. They told what happened.

Etymology and overview: kertoa is a native Finnish verb, and kertoivat is its regular past tense for the third-person plural. The form illustrates Finnish verb conjugation patterns, where past tense endings differ by person and number. In discourse, kertoivat is often used to summarize statements or recount events that occurred in the past, and it commonly appears in narrative and reported speech across Finnish text.