Menetimme

Menetimme is a Finnish verb form that corresponds to the English phrase "we lost." It is the first-person plural past tense of the verb menettää, meaning to lose, forfeit, or miss. The form is used when the subject is we and the action occurred in the past. It can describe the loss of a tangible item, time, opportunity, or something more abstract, such as a match, a resource, or a chance.

Grammatical notes: Menetimme is in the indicative mood and expresses a completed past action. In Finnish, the first-person plural past tense is formed by adding the suffix -imme to the verb stem (from menettää, whose stem is menet-). The same verb has other forms for different persons and tenses, and in present perfect contexts speakers would use forms like olen menetänyt or olemme menettäneet, depending on the construction.

Usage and nuance: The phrase is commonly used in narrative or report-like contexts to indicate a past loss. It can describe both concrete losses (time, money, items) and more contextual losses (opportunities, hopes). It does not inherently specify the cause of the loss; context provides that information.

Related terms: The noun form menetys means a loss or forfeiture, while the related verb menettää also covers losing or giving up something. Other constructions with menettää express different tenses or aspects, such as present or perfect forms, by using appropriate auxiliary or verb endings.

Example sentences:

- Me menetimme ajan projektin viemässä suunnittelusta.

- Me menetimme pelin viimeisellä minuutilla.

- Me menetimme mahdollisuuden osallistua kilpailuun.