totesimme

Totesimme is the first-person plural past tense form of the Finnish verb totea, meaning to state or declare. It is used to report that a group has stated something, often in formal or written Finnish such as minutes, press statements, academic writing, or news reporting. The form combines the stem tote- with the past tense ending -imme, which marks the 1st person plural.

In practice, totesimme functions as a reporting verb that attributes a statement to a collective subject. It is typically followed by a clause that presents the content of what was stated, and may be accompanied by quotation marks in translations. For example: Totesimme, että lisätutkimuksia tarvitaan. = We stated that further research is needed.

Grammatically, totesimme is part of a regular conjugation pattern for Finnish verbs. Related forms include toteasin (I stated), totesit (you stated), totesitte (you all stated), and totesivat (they stated). The present tense forms of totea include totean, toteat, toteaa, toteamme, toteatte, toteavat, illustrating how the verb inflects across persons and tenses.

The use of totesimme is common in written and formal Finnish to convey a summarized or attributed conclusion without presenting the exact speaker as an individual. It helps maintain a collective voice in reporting, minutes, and official narratives. While neutral in itself, the nuance of the statement depends on context and quotation, not the verb form alone.