tutustuivat

Tutustuivat is a Finnish verb form meaning they got acquainted or they became acquainted. It is the imperfect (past) indicative form of the verb tutustua, which describes the process of meeting someone or becoming familiar with something. The action is intransitive and often conveys a sense of beginning a relationship of familiarity, whether with people or with places, cultures, or objects. The form tutustuivat is typically used when recounting past events involving multiple subjects.

Usage and construction

Tutustua is used to express forming familiarity with another person, a group, or a concept. It is commonly followed by expressions indicating what was become known, such as toisiinsa (each other) to emphasize mutual acquaintance, or by a case ending marking what is being encountered (for example, tutustua johonkin, into illative forms in everyday speech). In narrative or reporting, tutustuivat appears in contexts like meetings, introductions, or the start of friendships. The verb has present and other past forms as well, e.g., tutustuu (gets acquainted) and tutustui (got acquainted) in singular, or tutustumme and tutustumme in the past tense first-person forms.

Examples

- He tutustuivat toisiinsa kurssin aikana. They got to know each other during the course.

- Opiskelijat tutustuivat toisiinsa ensimmäisen luennon jälkeen. The students got acquainted with one another after the first lecture.

- Pariskunta tutustui ensitreffeillä. The couple got acquainted on their first date.

Notes

Tutustua conveys a deliberate or initiated process of becoming familiar, rather than a mere chance encounter. The past participle form is tutustunut (having become acquainted). The verb is common in both everyday and formal Finnish, including reporting and storytelling.