Painuimme

Painuimme is a Finnish verb form used as the first-person plural past tense of painua, meaning to sink, descend, or go down. As a finite verb form, painuimme indicates that the subject (we) performed the action in the past. In English it is usually translated as “we sank” or “we were sinking,” depending on context.

Grammar and form: Painuimme is in the indicative mood, past tense, for the first-person plural. The stem painu- combines with the personal ending -imme to mark the past and the subject. The infinitive is painua. Like other Finnish verbs, painuimme participates in a broader conjugation system that includes different persons and tenses.

Usage and examples: The form appears in both literal and figurative contexts, describing sinking or descent and sometimes metaphorical decline. Example sentences: “Me painuimme syvemmälle mereen.” (We sank deeper into the sea.) “Taivas pimeni ja me painuimme takaisin muistojen syövereihin.” (The sky darkened and we sank back into the depths of memories.)

Notes: Painuimme is a verb form and not a noun. In compound tenses, related participles include painunut (sunk) and painuneet (sunk, pl.). The base infinitive is painua, from which painuimme is derived. See also painua, Finnish verbs, and past tense in Finnish.

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