muistuttaa

Muistuttaa is a Finnish verb with two primary meanings. It can mean to remind someone of something or to bring to mind a memory. It can also mean to resemble or be reminiscent of something, describing similarities between objects or situations.

In the reminder sense, the subject causes another person to think of something. The construction typically involves the person who is reminded and the thing that triggers the memory. Examples: “Se muistuttaa minua isästäni.” (“It reminds me of my father.”) “Tuo haju muistuttaa minua lapsuudestani.” (“That smell reminds me of my childhood.”) In the sense of resemblance, muistuttaa is used with what is being compared, often without a person as a secondary object. Example: “Se muistuttaa vanhaa linnaa.” (“It resembles an old castle.”)

Grammatically, muistuttaa is a regular verb in many forms. Present tense: muistutan, muistutat, muistuttaa, muistutamme, muistutatte, muistuttavat. Imperfect: muistutin, muistutit, muistutti, muistutimme, muistuitte, muistuttivat. Past participle: muistuttanut. The verb can take different grammatical objects depending on sense: the entity that triggers the memory (jokin) and the person who is reminded (minua, sinua, häntä, etc.).

Related expressions include tuoda mieleen (to bring to mind) and herättää muistoja (to evoke memories). These phrases are often used as alternatives when describing memory or resemblance. Overall, muistuttaa is a versatile verb used to express cognitive associations and similarities in Finnish.