päätettiin

Päätettiin is the past passive form of the Finnish verb päättää, meaning “to decide.” It expresses that a decision was made, while the agent who decided is not specified. As a past passive construction, päätettiin is used to report outcomes in a neutral, formal or descriptive way, for example in official statements, meeting minutes, or news reports.

Morphology and usage notes: Päätettiin is formed from the verb stem päät- with the past passive suffix -tiin, a standard pattern for Finnish past passive forms. The subject of the decision is often omitted or introduced later in the sentence, making the focus on the result rather than the actor. In practice, päätettiin is commonly followed by a clause beginning with että to state what was decided, or it can stand alone in a short report sentence.

Common contexts: The form frequently appears in institutional writing, such as government or organizational minutes, press releases, and journalistic reporting. It conveys finality and sequence—something was settled at a specific time by a group or authority, without naming the decision-maker.

Examples:

- Kokouksessa päätettiin lopettaa projektin toinen vaihe. (At the meeting it was decided to terminate the second phase of the project.)

- Hallituksessa päätettiin hyväksyä uuden budjetin ehdotus. (In the board meeting it was decided to approve the proposal for a new budget.)

See also: Finnish grammar, passive voice, decision reporting.