luokitellaan

Luokitellaan is the present passive form of the Finnish verb luokitella, meaning to classify or categorize. It expresses that something is placed into a class or category according to a system or criteria, without naming the agent performing the action. In Finnish, the passive voice is commonly used in formal writing, especially when describing procedures, results, or classifications.

The form is frequently found in scientific, administrative, and educational texts to present information in an impersonal way. It is often paired with phrases such as kriteerien mukaan (according to the criteria), seuraavasti (as follows), or ryhmitellään (grouped into). Example: Aineisto luokitellaan kriteerien mukaan kolmeen luokkaan. Näytteet luokitellaan laboratoriossa. These sentences illustrate how the classification process is described without specifying who does the classification.

Related terms include luokitus, the noun for classification, and luokiteltu (classified) or luokitteleva (classifying), which form part of the same lexical family. The word commonly appears in descriptions of data sets, research methods, and policy guidelines, where precise categorization is required.

Notes on usage: as an impersonal form, luokitellaan allows writers to state standard procedures or criteria without attributing actions to a specific person or group. This makes it suitable for reports, manuals, and formal explanations, and it can be translated as “is classified” or “are classified” depending on the context.