Vähentyneet

Vähentyneet is the plural past participle of the Finnish verb vähentyä, meaning to decrease or diminish. It is used as an adjective or non-finite verb form to describe that quantities, numbers, values, or rates have become smaller than they were previously. The form commonly appears in combination with a present perfect or past tense construction, for example with the auxiliary ovat or on.

Grammatically, vähentyneet agrees with a plural subject; the corresponding singular form is vähentynyt. In sentences, it typically appears as part of a compound verb phrase indicating a completed change, such as "ovat vähentyneet" (have decreased) or, in singular subjects, "on vähentynyt" (has decreased).

Usage of vähentyneet is frequent in statistical, economic, and demographic writing, as well as in climate or health data reporting. It signals a measured reduction rather than a qualitative change. For example: "Myyntiluvut ovat vähentyneet" (Sales figures have decreased), "Asukasmäärät ovat vähentyneet" (The number of residents has decreased), or "Kustannukset ovat vähentyneet viime vuonna" (Costs have decreased last year).

Etymology and related forms: Vähentyneet derives from the intransitive verb vähentyä, which relates to the adjective vähäinen (small, few). The noun form is vähentyminen, meaning the act or process of decreasing. Related verbs include vähentää (to reduce something) and a related concept is pienentyminen, another way to express a decrease, though with slightly different nuance.

In summary, vähentyneet is a linguistically precise way to describe that multiple items or quantities have declined, commonly used in formal reporting and analysis.