Valittiin

Valittiin is the past passive form of the Finnish verb valita, meaning to choose or to elect. It indicates that a person, an object, or a decision was selected by an agent, which may be stated explicitly or left implicit. As a finite verb form, valittiin is used in situations where the subject of the sentence is the recipient of the action and the doer is not specified.

Grammatical notes: In Finnish, the passive past tense is formed with the suffix -tiin, producing valittiin from valita. The agent can be omitted, or it can be introduced with phrases such as toimesta or päätöksen mukaan. The form can refer to both singular and plural subjects depending on the sentence context. Valittiin is typically used in formal, administrative, or journalistic contexts to report a completed selection or election.

Usage and nuance: Valittiin conveys that a selection has taken place, without naming who performed the selection. It is common in announcements, reports, and records of appointments, awards, or competition outcomes. For specificity about who carried out the selection, a separate agent phrase may be added.

Examples:

- Uusi johtaja valittiin kunnanhallituksen toimesta.

- Kokouksessa valittiin uusi sihteeri.

- Kilpailun voittaja valittiin tuomariston toimesta.

Related forms include valinta (the act or result of choosing) and valittu (the past participle meaning “chosen”). Valittiin is distinct from the verb valittaa (to complain), whose forms are different and not interchangeable in meaning.