pystyivät

Pystyivät is the third-person plural past tense form of the Finnish verb pystyä, meaning to be able to do something or to manage. It expresses that a group of subjects could perform an action in the past.

In use, pystyivät is followed by an infinitive phrase to indicate the action that was possible. Examples: He pystyivät ratkaisemaan ongelman. They were able to solve the problem. He pystyivät jatkamaan matkaa huonosta säästä huolimatta. They could continue the journey despite bad weather.

Grammatical notes: pystyivät is the past tense, indicative mood, used with plural third-person subjects. The corresponding forms in other persons include minä pystyin, sinä pystyit, hän pystyi, me pystyimme, te pystyitte. The negative form is he eivät pystyneet. Pystyä is often contrasted with the verb voida; while voida can express general possibility or permission, pystyä emphasizes actual ability or feasibility under given conditions.

Etymology and usage context: pystyä is a common Finnish modal-like verb used to describe capabilities, achievements, or feasibility in various contexts, including spoken language, reportage, and narrative writing. Pystyivät is frequently found in recounting past events, team efforts, or historical outcomes where a group’s capacity to act is being stated.