Vastannut

Vastannut is the past active participle of the Finnish verb vastata, meaning “to answer.” It denotes a completed act of answering and is used in non-finite verb forms, most notably with the auxiliary olla to form perfect tenses. For example, olen vastannut means “I have answered,” and olemme vastanneet means “we have answered.” The participle can also appear in participial phrases to indicate related action, such as having answered.

Vastannut contrasts with the finite past tense forms of vastata, which are expressed with the standard past tense endings: vastasin, vastasit, vastasi, vastasimme, vastasitte, vastasivat. The past active participle vastannut therefore serves a different grammatical function, allowing speakers to convey completed answering in combination with auxiliary verbs or in non-finite constructions, rather than as an independent finite verb form.

The corresponding passive past participle is vastattu, used to describe something that has been answered, as in questions or requests that have been answered. This distinction between vastannut (active participle) and vastattu (passive participle) is a common feature of Finnish participial forms and their role in tense and voice variation.

In usage, vastannut appears primarily in written and formal Finnish when referring to the act of answering in a completed sense, whether in narrative, reporting, or instructional contexts. It is closely related to the root verb vastata and to related forms such as vastaaminen (the act of answering). See also vastata, vastattu, vastaaminen.