Maksettaisiin

Maksettaisiin is a Finnish verb form that marks a hypothetical or conditional payment in the passive voice. It is the conditional mood of the passive form of maksaa, meaning “to pay.” In practice, maksettaisiin expresses that a payment would occur under certain conditions or in a hypothetical situation, with the agent (the payer) usually not specified.

Morphology and use

The form is built from the passive stem makset-, combined with the passive mood marker and the conditional ending, giving maksettaisiin. Finnish passive forms do not require an explicit agent, so maksettaisiin commonly appears without naming who would carry out the payment. This form contrasts with maksetaan (present passive) and with maksaisi (active conditional).

Meaning and nuance

Maksettaisiin can convey negotiations, policy statements, or contractual language where payment is contingent on specified criteria. It is used to describe arrangements that would be implemented if conditions are met, rather than stating that a payment is currently being made. The indefinite subject in the clause often renders the statement general or formal.

Examples

- Maksut maksettaisiin, kun sopimus on allekirjoitettu. (Payments would be made once the contract is signed.)

- Korvaus maksettaisiin myöhemmin, ellei lisätietoja ole saatavilla. (The compensation would be paid later if no further information is available.)

- Pakkolaskuissa maksettaisiin vasta, kun virallinen päätös on tehty. (In compulsory cases, payment would be made only after an official decision is made.)

Relation to other forms

Maksettaisiin is specifically the passive conditional form. It should not be confused with the active conditional maksaisi or the present passive maksetaan, which denote different syntactic moods or voices.