Toivoi

Toivoi is a Finnish verb form meaning “hoped.” It is the third-person singular past tense of the verb toivoa, which means “to hope.” The infinitive is toivoa, the present tense third-person singular is toivoo, and the first-person singular past form is toivoin. The past tense forms are used to describe a completed act of hoping by he or she, while other persons and tenses have their own forms (for example, minä toivoin = I hoped; he toivoivat = they hoped).

Usage of toivoi centers on reporting past hopes or desires. It appears in narratives and reported speech and is commonly followed by clauses introduced with että to express what was hoped for, or used independently to recount a past hope. Examples include: Hän toivoi, että sade loppuisi pian. (He hoped that the rain would end soon.) and He toivoivat parempaa uutista. (They hoped for better news.)

Etymology and related terms: toivoi derives from the noun toivo, meaning “hope.” The verb toivoa belongs to a class of Finnish verbs formed with the -oa/-öa ending in the infinitive. Related nouns include toive (a wish) and toivo (hope).

Notes on nuance: toivoi expresses a wish or expectation that was held in the past and may or may not have materialized. It contrasts with the present tense toivoo (he/she hopes) and with other past tense forms for different subjects. In narrative Finnish, the choice between toivoi and other past forms helps convey timing and certainty of the hoped-for outcome.