kiristetään

Kiristetään is a Finnish verb form that marks the present passive of kiristää, meaning either “to tighten” or “to extort/press,” depending on the context. The meaning is determined by the surrounding words: in technical or mechanical language, it denotes tightening a fastener or component; in criminal or coercive contexts, it describes extortion or coercion.

In mechanical usage, kiristetään describes actions where a object such as a bolt, rope, or belt is being tightened so that it holds securely. Example: Mutterit kiristetään ennen koeajoa (The nuts are tightened before the test run). In contexts of coercion, kiristetään refers to pressure or blackmail exercised against a person or organization. Example: Uhri kiristetään ja vaaditaan rahasummaa (The victim is extorted and money is demanded).

Grammatical notes: kiristetään is the present passive form and is used without specifying the agent performing the action. The passive allows the focus to be on the action itself and its recipient. The form can refer to singular or plural subjects, depending on the sentence, and it contrasts with active kiristää forms (who tightens or extorts) and with related forms such as kiristetty (tightened or extorted) and kiristys (the act of tightening or extortion).

In summary, kiristetään is a versatile passive form in Finnish whose meaning hinges on context—mechanical tightening or coercive extortion—common in everyday language, journalism, and technical or legal writing.