Painellaan

Painellaan is the present passive form of the Finnish verb painella, meaning to press, squeeze, or stamp. In use, painellaan describes an action that is performed on a subject by an unspecified agent, rather than by a clearly identified doer.

Grammatical notes: In Finnish, painellaan marks the ongoing passive voice in the present tense. It is commonly found in instructions, manufacturing descriptions, and process explanations where the actor is unknown or assumed to be general. As a passive form, the subject of the sentence is what is being pressed, while the agent remains implicit.

Usage: The form appears in contexts such as industrial or crafts settings (pressing materials, shaping objects), cooking or food preparation where pressing actions are involved, and general descriptions of procedures. Painellaan is typically contrasted with active forms like painellaan (active third-person plural or generic you press) in sentences that specify who or what is performing the action, though in practice the passive often conveys the intended meaning without naming the agent.

Examples:

- Levyt painellaan muotoonsa. (The plates are pressed into shape.)

- Napit painellaan kiinni. (The buttons are pressed on/attached.)

Etymology and related terms: Painellaan derives from the verb painella. The root pain- is linked to the concept of applying pressure and has cognates in related Finnic languages, reflecting common semantic development around pressing or squeezing actions.

See also: painella, Finnish verb conjugation, passive voice in Finnish.