sulkeutuivat

Sulkeutua is a Finnish intransitive verb meaning to close or shut itself, often describing something that closes by itself or becomes closed, such as a door, a lid, shutters, or an opening. The form sulkeutuivat is the third-person plural past tense, used when multiple subjects closed or came to be closed.

In usage, sulkeutuivat indicates that the subjects themselves underwent the action of closing. The agent causing the closure is typically not expressed explicitly. It is common to describe physical closures (ovet sulkeutuivat, ikkunat sulkeutuivat) as well as phenomena that come to an end or seal off, such as a cave opening, a mouth, or a metaphorical ending of a period or process (jakso sulkeutui, keskustelu sulkeutui).

Common examples

- Ovet sulkeutuivat äkisti. The doors closed suddenly.

- Ikkunat sulkeutuivat illalla, kun pimeys saapui. The windows closed in the evening as darkness fell.

- Silmät sulkeutuivat väsymyksestä. The eyes closed from tiredness.

Grammatical note

- Sulkeutua is intransitive; its subject is the thing that closes. The corresponding perfect or pluperfect forms are sulkeutunut(s) with the verb olla, e.g., Ovet ovat sulkeutuneet. The past tense singular forms differ (ovet sulkeutuivat vs. ovi sulkeutui). The term is typically found in descriptive or narrative text describing natural closures or automatic processes.