kuvaillaan

Kuvaillaan is the present passive form of the Finnish verb kuvailla, meaning to describe, depict or illustrate. In this form, the agent doing the describing is not specified, so the statement reads as an impersonal or general description. The construction is common in formal and informational writing where a neutral tone is desired.

Usage and function: Kuvaillaan is used to present information about characteristics, processes or phenomena without naming who describes them. It is frequently found in encyclopedic text, manuals, reports and other descriptive discourse. Typical applications include describing features of objects, events, or procedures, for example: “Kuvaillaan rakennusten arkkitehtonisia piirteitä.” or “Kuvaillaan, miten tilat jaetaan.” The phrasing emphasizes the content of the description rather than the active narrator.

Grammatical notes: Like other Finnish passive forms, kuvaillaan does not encode the specific subject or number; the subject is inferred from context and can be singular or plural. The indefinite agent is understood. In contrast to other passive verbs such as kuvataan or kuvataan yleisesti, kuvaillaan foregrounds the act of describing itself and is common in neutral, explanatory or summarizing prose.

Related considerations: Kuvaillaan is part of a broader set of Finnish passive constructions that enable impersonal or generalized reporting. It is suitable for introducing summarized information, overviews, or descriptive passages where a non-personal voice is preferred.