Pystyimme

Pystyimme is the first-person plural past tense form of the Finnish verb pystyä, meaning “to be able to” or “to manage.” It is used to express that a group was able to perform a certain action in the past, often implying successful completion or achievement.

Morphology and usage: Pystyimme is formed from the stem pysty- with the past-tense suffix -imme. It is a tense-marked, finite verb. It typically precedes an infinitive that names the action: “Me pystyimme ratkaisemaan ongelman” (We managed to solve the problem). It allows negation (“Emme pystyneet”) and questions (“Pystyimmekö me...?”).

Related forms and construction: Related forms include the present tense pystymme (“we are able”), the conditional pystyisi / pystyisimme, and the past participle pystynyt, used with olla to form perfect constructions such as “olen pystynyt” (“I have been able”). Pystyä is commonly contrasted with voida, another Finnish verb meaning “to be able,” though pystyä often conveys a sense of achieved capability or successful completion in a past context.

Etymology and usage notes: Pystyä derives from the Finnish adjective pysty, meaning “able” or “upright.” The verb form pystyä is native to Finnish and is widely used in everyday language, as well as in academic and journalistic contexts, to convey capability or successful accomplishment in past actions. Pystyimme, as a conversational and written form, appears in narrative accounts, reports, and descriptions of past events.