Käytiinkin

Käytiinkin is a Finnish verb form derived from the verb käydä, meaning “to go, to visit.” It is the past tense form in the passive voice (käytiin) with the enclitic particle -kin added for emphasis. The result conveys that the action occurred and carries a nuance of contrast, surprise, or affirmation, often translating roughly as “we did go indeed” or “they even went.”

Morphology and formation: The base is käydä. The past passive form is -tiin, giving käytiin. The enclitic -kin is attached to the end to add emphasis or to signal a change of expectation in the narrative, yielding käytiinkin. The subject remains indefinite or collective, which is typical of passive constructions in Finnish.

Usage: Käytiinkin is common in spoken and written Finnish when a speaker wants to stress that an expected or planned action actually took place, sometimes in opposition to prior assumptions. It often appears in storytelling or after a preceding clause that sets up doubt or contrast. It is not obligatory; käytiin can often convey a neutral past action, while käytiinkin adds emphasis.

Examples:

- En aikonut mennä, mutta käytiinkin kahville. (I didn’t intend to go, but we did go for coffee.)

- He sanoivat etteivät ehtineet, mutta käytiinkin myöhemmin. (They said they wouldn’t make it, but they did go later.)

See also: Finnish verb moods and passive forms, enclitic particles in Finnish.