epäillään

Epäillään is a Finnish verb form meaning “it is doubted” or “there is doubt” about something. It is the present passive form of epäillä (to doubt) and is used to express uncertainty or skepticism about a claim, statement, or fact. The construction is impersonal: the agent who doubts is not stated, and the thing that is doubted appears in the clause with the verb.

Etymology and form: Epäillään is formed from the root epäil- of epäillä with the passive ending. The word belongs to the Finnish verb system’s present passive and is commonly found in both spoken language and formal writing, including journalism, where it signals that a proposition has not been established as true.

Usage and function: Epäillään is used to indicate that something is being questioned or considered unreliable. It often introduces information that is not yet verified or that people doubt. Typical constructions place the thing in focus in the genitive or part of a subordinate clause: for example, “Tietojen paikkansapitävyydestä epäillään” (The veracity of the information is in doubt).

Examples:

- Tietojen paikkansapitävyydestä epäillään.

- Väitteestä epäillään todeksi.

- Tutkimustulokset epäillään uuden analyysin valossa.

See also: epäillä, epäily, epäilyksen.