Sitoutuvansa

Sitoutuvansa is a Finnish verb form derived from the verb sitoutua, meaning "to commit" or "to become committed." It appears as sitoutuvansa, a construction combining the present/future participial stem sitoutuva ("committing"/"going to commit") with the clitic possessive/third-person marker -nsa, and is typically used in indirect speech to report a third person's intention or promise.

Grammar and usage

Sitoutuvansa is most commonly found in clauses that convey what a third person said, promised or intended, for example: "Hän sanoi sitoutuvansa hankkeeseen," literally "He/she said (that) he/she will commit to the project." In English this is often rendered as "He/she said he/she would commit" or "He/she said he/she would undertake." The form signals reported future or intention and is functionally similar to a dependent clause introduced by että ("that") plus a personal subject.

Morphology

The form comprises sitoutu- (root), -va (present/future participle forming sitoutuva) and the enclitic -nsa (third-person reflexive/possessive marker used in reported speech). It is inflectionally bound to third-person reference and cannot by itself indicate other persons without replacement of the clitic (e.g., sitoutuvamme "we will commit").

Register and alternatives

Sitoutuvansa is neutral and common in written Finnish, especially in formal statements, press releases and reports. Alternative indirect constructions use että plus a finite verb (e.g., Hän sanoi, että hän sitoutuu) which is more explicit about the subject.