juostaan

Juostaan is the present passive form of the Finnish verb juosta, meaning to run. It denotes an action that is performed without specifying the agent, or a general statement. The form is created from the verb stem juost- plus the present passive ending -aan/-ään, yielding juostaan. In use, it often translates roughly as “is run” or “are run,” but its primary function is to express impersonal or passive information in Finnish.

Juostaan is common in sport reporting, event descriptions, and descriptive or instructional text where the actor is unknown or irrelevant. It allows speakers to convey actions without naming who performs them, which is a characteristic feature of Finnish style. The agent can be left unspecified to emphasize the action or the event itself rather than the doer.

Examples illustrate its use. “Kisassa 5 kilometrin mittainen rata juostaan tässä kilpailussa” means that in the race, a five-kilometer course is run. “Tämä reitti juostaan useita kertoja” indicates that this route is run several times. The form helps maintain an objective, news-like tone.

Related forms include juostiin, the past passive meaning “were run,” used to describe completed events, and ei juostu, the negative passive meaning “was not/were not run.” Compared to languages that prefer explicit subjects, Finnish relies on passive and impersonal constructions like juostaan to convey general actions succinctly.

See also: juosta, Finnish grammar, passive voice.