jätin

Jätin is the first-person singular past tense of the Finnish verb jättää, meaning to leave, abandon, or hand over. The form expresses a completed action in the past and is used with a direct object. Its meaning can range from physically leaving something somewhere to omitting or relinquishing something, depending on context.

In terms of morphology, jätin corresponds to minä jätin. Other related forms include sinä jäit (you left), hän jätti (he/she left), me jätimme (we left), te jätitte (you all left), and he jättivät (they left). The negative form is en jättänyt, and present or other tenses use different stems, such as jätän in the present tense. Jättää itself covers several senses—leaving behind, abandoning a person, leaving out details, or entrusting something to someone in a transfer of responsibility.

Usage and nuance: jätin is common in narrative and everyday speech. It can describe leaving a physical object in a place, for example, Eilen jätin avaimet pöydälle (Yesterday I left the keys on the table). It can also convey relational or procedural meanings, such as leaving someone alone (Hänet jätin kotiin) or leaving out information (Jätin pois tärkeän kohdan). The choice of context determines whether the action has a lasting effect or a temporary omission.

Notes: Jätin should not be confused with jäġi or jäätinen, nor with jäti, and is distinct from the noun jätit (not common). It is also distinct from jätti, which means “giant” in Finnish. The form is a standard example of Finnish past tense for the first person singular.