kuulleet

Kuulleet is a Finnish word that appears as the plural form of the past participle of the verb kuulla, meaning to hear. In standard Finnish, the common past participle is kuullut, which is used with auxiliary verbs to form perfect tenses (for example, olen kuullut, olemme kuulleet). The form kuulleet is most often encountered in linguistic descriptions, older texts, or some dialects and is generally considered less common in contemporary standard Finnish.

Grammar and usage: As a participle, kuulleet can function as an adjective or in nominalized phrases, describing a group associated with having heard something. Its exact status and frequency can vary by source; many grammars treat kuullut as the universal past participle for both singular and plural subjects in perfect constructions, while kuulleet is noted as a plural form in certain descriptive contexts. In everyday writing and speech, kuullut is normally preferred for standard, agreement-consistent usage.

Pronunciation and orthography: Kuulleet is pronounced with long vowels and a geminated l, approximately as koo-ool-leet, with an emphasis on the first syllable. The double l indicates a lengthened consonant sound in Finnish phonology.

Etymology: The form derives from the verb kuulla (to hear) and the standard past participle pattern that yields forms like kuullut, extended in some grammars or dialects to kuulleet in the plural.

See also: Finnish grammar, kuullut, kuulla, participles in Finnish.