Potkaistaan

Potkaistaan is a Finnish verb form that functions as the present passive of the verb potkaista, meaning to kick. In this form the performer of the action is not specified, and the clause describes an action happening to the subject. The passive is commonly used in neutral statements, instructions, and sports commentary.

Formation and usage: The present passive is formed with the suffix -istaan/-istään to the stem potka-, yielding potkaistaan. It is used with inanimate subjects or where the agent is unknown or unimportant. For example, Pallo potkaistaan verkkoon (The ball is kicked into the net) and Peli potkaistaan käyntiin (The game is kicked off / The game starts). The form allows general statements such as schedulings, procedures, or brief narrations without naming who performs the action.

Context and nuance: Finnish frequently uses the passive to present actions without specifying an agent. Potkaistaan can appear in headlines, manuals, or descriptive passages where the focus is on the event rather than the actor. The agent, if mentioned, is typically introduced with a phrase like pelaajan toimesta (by the player) or similar constructions, but such agent phrases are not required for the meaning to be clear. The corresponding past passive is potkaistiin, while there is no separate dedicated future form; future interpretation is derived from context.

Relation to other forms: Potkaista is a transitive verb, and potkaistaan is one of its standard present-tense passive forms. The form is part of ordinary Finnish grammar and is not restricted to any single register, though its use is most common in neutral narration, instructions, and sports discourse.