Otetaan

Otetaan is the present tense passive form of the Finnish verb ottaa, meaning to take. It is used to express an action without specifying a doer, and it commonly translates to “is taken” or “are taken” in English, depending on the context. The form is widely used in everyday language, media, and instruction.

Grammatically, otetaan represents the present passive. Finnish passive forms do not name the agent performing the action. The corresponding forms include otettiin for the simple past passive and on otettu for the perfect passive (as in “se on otettu,” it has been taken). The participle otettu also appears in compound tenses and as an adjective.

Usage examples are common in descriptions of procedures, policies, and outcomes. For instance, “Tietoja otetaan huomioon” means “The information is taken into account,” and “Otetaanko tämä mukaan?” means “Shall we take this along?” The passive can introduce general statements about what happens, rather than who does it, which makes otetaan a versatile tool in formal and instructional Finnish.

Notes on style and nuance: otetaan often conveys a neutral, impersonal tone. It contrasts with active forms when the emphasis is on the action’s occurrence rather than the agent. The form aligns with standard Finnish verb conjugation patterns and is reachable to learners at an intermediate level, reflecting the broader use of the passive voice in Finnish.

Etymology: Otan/ottaa sits within core Finnish verb roots and shares its basic meaning with related Finnic languages, illustrating the broad, history-rich system of Finnish verbs.