Syyllistyy

Syyllistyy is the third-person singular present indicative form of the Finnish verb syyllistyä. The verb denotes becoming guilty or being culpable in a legal, moral, or social sense. It is used to describe someone who has engaged in wrongdoing or taken blame, with nuance ranging from formal guilt in a crime to a more general sense of fault.

Syyllistyä is an intransitive verb that typically takes a target in the illative case to indicate the conduct in question. Common constructions include syyllistyy rikokseen (to commit a crime) and syyllistyy virheeseen (to be at fault in making a mistake). The corresponding past forms are syyllistyi (he/she became guilty) and syyllistyivät (they became guilty). The past participle is syyllistynyt, used in perfect tenses: Hän on syyllistynyt rikokseen. Related nouns and adjectives include syyllisyys (guilt) and syyllinen (guilty).

Usage notes: In Finnish, syyllistyy is often found in formal or reporting contexts to indicate that someone is legally or morally at fault. It can convey significant severity when paired with a crime or serious fault; for everyday faults, other expressions may be more natural. The verb is related to syyttää (to accuse or blame), which addresses responsibility attributed to someone else rather than the subject’s own guilt.

See also: syyllinen, syyllisyys, syyttää, syyllistäminen.