pyydettiin

Pyydettiin is the past passive form of the Finnish verb pyytää, meaning to ask or to request. It indicates that an act of asking or requesting took place, without specifying the agent performing the action. In Finnish, past passive forms are formed with the suffix -tiin; thus pyydettiin literally corresponds to "it was asked" or "they were asked" in English.

Usage of pyydettiin is common in reporting, formal statements, and narrative writing where the doer is unknown or not important. It allows the writer to present information objectively by focusing on the action rather than on who performed it. It often appears with expressions that describe obligations or invitations, such as "pyydettiin mukaan" (was invited to join) or "pyydettiin tehdä..." (was asked to do...).

Examples include:

Henkilöstö pyydettiin osallistumaan tilaisuuteen.

Käyttäjiltä pyydettiin vahvistamaan tiedot.

Translations and interpretation:

In English, pyydettiin is typically rendered as "was asked" or "were asked," depending on the subject. It forms part of the broader Finnish passive system, alongside the present passive "pyydetään" (is/are asked) and active forms such as "pyysi" (he/she asked). Related terms include pyytää (to ask) and pyyntö (a request).