syyttämään

Syyttämään is a Finnish verb form meaning to accuse or blame someone. It is the -mään infinitive (a non-finite form) of the verb syyttää, used in certain non-finite clauses and after verbs of movement or intention. In everyday Finnish, you will encounter the form in constructions such as lähti syyttämään, meaning “went to accuse,” or in other non-finite phrases describing the act of accusing.

Usage and meaning

Syyttää is a transitive verb. Its typical direct object is a person (minä/sinä/hän) in the accusative or in pronouns (minua, sinua, häntä) and it is often accompanied by a complement indicating what the person is accused of (for example jostakin, rikoksesta, valehduksista). The passive voice is common in news or legal language: häntä syytettiin rikoksesta, “he/she was accused of the crime.” The related noun syyte refers to an actual accusation or charge.

Distinctions

Syyttää means to accuse or blame, focusing on the act of charging another person with a fault. Syyllistää is a related verb that emphasizes moral fault or culpability rather than the formal act of accusation. The noun form syyte (an accusation or charge) is often used in legal contexts.

Examples

- Hän lähti syyttämään heitä valheista. (He went off to accuse them of lies.)

- Häntä syytettiin kavalluksesta. (He was accused of embezzlement.)

- Syyte hyväksytään hovissa, ja todisteita käsitellään. (The charge is being considered in court, and evidence is being examined.)

Etymology and related forms

The verb derives from syy, meaning fault or reason. Other related forms include syyttää (to accuse), syyllistää (to morally blame), and syyte (an accusation/charge). The form syyttämään appears primarily in non-finite clauses and in contexts where the act of accusing is being described or referred to.