Merkitään

Merkitään is the present passive form of the Finnish verb merkitä, meaning to mark, denote, indicate, or sign. In this form, the action is described as being done to something, without naming the agent. The form is common in descriptive prose, manuals, and mathematical or scientific notation, where labeling or designation is discussed rather than performed by a specific person.

In everyday Finnish, merkitään describes labeling or marking actions. Example: Taulukon sarakkeet merkitään A-, B- ja C-kirjaimin. This usage presents how items are given labels or designations rather than identifying who performs the action.

In mathematics and formal writing, merkitään is often used to introduce notation or to designate symbols. Example: Olkoon X joukko. Merkitään pisteet P1, P2 ja P3, jolloin niiden notaatio helpottaa referointia. This highlights how the phrase communicates notational conventions rather than an explicit agent performing the action.

Etymology and related forms: Merkitään derives from merkitä, whose root is merkki, meaning sign or mark. The word and its related terms—merkitä (to mark), merkki (sign), and merkintä (notation or entry)—share the same semantic field of labeling and notation.

See also: merkki, merkintä, merkitä, Finnish grammar note on passive forms.

References: Finnish dictionaries (such as the Kielitoimisto) describe merkitä and its passive form merkitään, with examples in standard usage for labeling and notation.