kerrottiin

Kerrottiin is the past passive form of the Finnish verb kertoa, meaning it was said or it was reported. It is used to relay information without naming the speaker or source, and it often appears in journalism, reports, and formal writing. The form emphasizes that the information has been communicated, while the agent remains unspecified.

Grammar and formation: Kerrottiin is built from the verb stem kert- with the passive past suffix -tti- and the ending -in. In Finnish, passive constructions commonly convey information without a clear subject, and the agent can be omitted or implied. The present passive form is kerrotaan, and the perfect passive form is kerrottu. The subject in kerrottiin is typically indefinite or general, allowing the statement to function as a neutral report.

Usage and nuance: Kerrottiin is suitable for attributing statements to unnamed sources, which helps distance the author from the claim or generalize the information. It is often followed by että or a subordinate clause: Kerrottiin, että tilanne on hallinnassa. It can appear in headlines or stand-alone sentences in news to signal reported information without a direct quotation.

Examples:

- Tiedot kerrottiin eilen tiedotusvälineissä.

- Kerrottiin, että hankkeen rakennusvaihe on viivästynyt.

- Hän ei ollut paikalla, mistä kerrottiin.

Related forms: kertoa (to tell), kerrotaan (present passive), kerrottu (participle used in perfect passive constructions). Kerrottiin remains a common tool for presenting reported or second-hand information in Finnish prose.

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