yllätetään

yllätetään is a Finnish word that translates to "to be surprised" or "to be caught off guard" in English. It is the passive present participle of the verb yllättää, which means "to surprise." The word can be used in various contexts, often to describe an unexpected event or emotion.

For example, one might say "hänet yllätetään" which means "he/she is surprised." This could refer to a birthday party, a sudden piece of news, or any situation where a person's expectations are not met. The nuance of yllätetään lies in the passive construction, emphasizing that the surprise is happening *to* the subject rather than being initiated by them.

The term can also be used more broadly to describe a state of being unprepared or vulnerable to an unexpected occurrence. A military unit might be caught "yllätetään" by an enemy attack, indicating a lack of anticipation. In everyday conversation, it conveys the feeling of a sudden, often pleasant, unexpected event. The simple grammatical structure of yllätetään makes it a versatile term in the Finnish language for expressing this common human experience.