kaadettiin

Kaadettiin is a Finnish verb form that expresses a past passive action of the verb kaataa, meaning to topple, cut down, or lay down. In use, kaadettiin translates roughly to “was felled” or “were felled.” It is commonly found in reporting and narrative descriptions of events where the subject is the recipient of the action and the agent is either unspecified or stated with a phrase such as “viranomaisten toimesta” (by the authorities) or “toimesta” (by the action of).

In Finnish, past passive forms like kaadettiin are used to describe events without naming a specific actor. For example, Puut kaadettiin eilen translates to The trees were felled yesterday. Another typical context is forestry or construction, where large-scale cutting or demolition is reported: Alueella kaadettiin arviolta useita satoja puita, meaning Several hundred trees were felled in the area, according to estimates. The agent can be introduced with a phrase indicating who performed the action, but is often left implicit in neutral reporting.

Etymology and morphology: kaadettiin derives from the verb kaataa plus the Finnish past passive ending. The form is standard in Finnish for describing completed actions directed at an object, with the subject receiving the action rather than performing it. Variants of kaataa include related forms such as kaataminen (the act of toppling/cutting down) and kaato (the act or result of toppling). Usage typically appears in forestry, construction, demolition, and accident reporting, but can occur in any narrative involving something being toppled or removed.

See also: kaataa, kaataminen, kaato.