kysyttiin

Kysyttiin is a Finnish verb form meaning "it was asked" or "one asked." It represents the past tense in the passive voice of the verb kysyä (to ask). In Finnish, the agent performing the action is left unspecified, allowing the statement to refer to questions raised by anyone, such as journalists, officials, or the public.

Morphologically, kysy- is the verb stem. The passive past tense is formed with the suffix -tti- plus the past tense ending -in, yielding kysyttiin. This construction denotes that a question was asked without naming who asked it. Kysyttiin is common in formal writing, journalism, and reported speech, where the focus is on the fact that a question occurred rather than on the asker.

Usage examples:

- Kysyttiin, miksi päätös tehtiin nyt. (It was asked why the decision was made now.)

- Kysyttiin, kuka vastaa. (It was asked who is responsible.)

- Kysyttiin, missä tapahtuma pidetään. (It was asked where the event is held.)

Notes: Like other Finnish passive forms, the agent remains implicit. Kysyttiin contrasts with the active kysyi, where the subject performing the action is explicit. The form is versatile for reporting inquiries in media, official statements, and narrative summaries.

See also: kysyä; Finnish grammar; passive voice.