Summataan

Summataan is a Finnish verb form that functions as the present passive of the verb summata, meaning to summarize. It is used to indicate that the action of summarizing is performed on a subject without specifying the agent.

Grammatical features and formation: the form summataan is created by adding the passive suffix to the verb stem, following Finnish vowel harmony rules. In standard Finnish, the present passive suffix commonly appears as -taan in many verbs, yielding summataan for summata. This form can express general statements about processes or results in formal writing, where the actor performing the summarization is not identified.

Usage: summataan appears in scholarly, administrative, and journalistic contexts to describe how data, text, or findings have been condensed or aggregated. It emphasizes the outcome of summarization rather than who performed it. The construction is typically compatible with both singular and plural subjects, depending on the surrounding sentence.

Examples:

- Tiedot summataan yhteen taulukkoon. (The data are summarized into one table.)

- Tutkimuksen tulokset summataan raporttiin tiiviimmässä muodossa. (The study results are summarized in a more concise form in the report.)

Related terms and notes: summata refers to the act of summarizing, while tiivistää is another common Finnish verb meaning to condense or distill. The passive form summataan is part of the broader Finnish passive-voice system, which often shifts emphasis from the doer to the action or its result.

See also: Finnish grammar, passive voice, summata, tiivistää.