Reflexive Verbs -UTU/YTY- Peseytyä Ilmoittautua
Reflexive verbs (refleksiiviset verbijohdokset) express that the subject does something to themselves. In other words, the target of the action is the subject themselves.
- Minä pesen itseni. → Minä peseydyn. (I wash myself)
- Minä puen itseni. → Minä pukeudun. (I get dressed, I dress myself)
- Minä puolustan itseäni. → Minä puolustaudun. (I defend myself)
1. Transitivity vs Intransitivity
The matter of transitivity and intransivity of Finnish verbs is quite complex. This article is part of a series about transitive and intransitive verbs.
In short, transitive verbs are verbs that get an object, e.g. Jatkan työt “I continue the work”. Intransitive verbs don’t get an object, e.g. Työt jatkuvat “The work continues”. As you see, a transitive verb’s object can become an intransitive verb’s subject.
In this post, you can find reflexive verbs ending in -utua/-ytyä. These are a type of intransitive verbs. The -UtU- element (see: vowel harmony) can have several meanings (automative, translative and reflexive). I’m limiting the verbs below to only the ones that are clearly reflexive.
There are many other verbs that belong completely or partly in this semantical group, but I’m limiting the scope of this article considerably. In addition, many of these verbs have several meanings. I’m only presenting the translations that make the most sense within the reflexive derivate system.
2. List of Reflexive Verbs ending in -utua/-ytyä
I have marked the most basic verbs in green, so you know which ones to focus on when you’re just getting started. This is another of those word lists that are useful to look through, but that you shouldn’t just copy, paste and learn by heart. Pick the ones you will actually be using!
sb = somebody, sth = something
| Base verb | English | Reflexive | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| aseistaa | to supply with arms | aseistautua | to arm oneself |
| eristää | to isolate sb | eristäytyä | to isolate oneself |
| esittää | to introduce sb | esittäytyä | to introduce oneself |
| heittää | to throw sth | heittäytyä | to throw oneself |
| hirttää | to hang sb | hirttäytyä | to hang oneself |
| hukuttaa | to drown sb | hukuttautua | to drown oneself |
| ilmoittaa | to register sth | ilmoittautua | to register oneself |
| irrottaa | to detach sth | irrottautua | to cut oneself loose |
| julistaa | to declare sth | julistautua | to declare oneself |
| kaunistaa | to beautify sth | kaunistautua | to beautify oneself |
| kietoa | to wrap sth | kietoutua | to wrap oneself in |
| kirjata | to log sth | kirjautua | to log oneself in |
| kohottaa | to raise sth | kohottautua | to raise oneself up |
| koristaa | to adorn sth with | koristautua | to adorn oneself with |
| kääriä | to wrap sth | kääriytyä | to wrap oneself in |
| näyttää | to show sth | näyttäytyä | to show oneself |
| omistaa | to dedicate sth | omistautua | to dedicate onself to |
| pakottaa | to force sb | pakottautua | to force oneself |
| upottaa | emerge sth in sth | uppoutua | to emerge oneself |
| pelastaa | to save sth | pelastautua | to save oneself |
| pestä | to wash sth/sb | peseytyä | to wash oneself |
| riisua | to undress | riisuutua | to undress oneself |
| piilottaa | to hide sth | piiloutua | to hide oneself |
| pudottaa | to drop sth | pudottautua | to let oneself drop |
| puhdistaa | to clean sth | puhdistautua | to cleanse oneself |
| pukea | to dress | pukeutua | to dress oneself |
| puolustaa | to defend sth | puolustautua | to defend oneself |
| raahata | to drag sth | raahautua | to drag oneself |
| siistiä | to tidy sth up | siistiytyä | to tidy oneself up |
| sijoittaa | to place sth swh | sijoittautua | to place oneself |
| suojata | to shield, protect | suojautua | to shelter oneself |
| tarjota | to offer sth | tarjoutua | to offer oneself |
| terästää | to steel sth | terästäytyä | to steel oneself |
| tuhota | to destroy sth | tuhoutua | to destroy oneself |
| uhrata | to sacrifice sth | uhrautua | to sacrifice oneself |
| ujuttaa | to sneak sth in | ujuttautua | to sneak oneself in |
| valmistaa | to prepare sth | valmistautua | to prepare oneself |
| verhota | to veil sth | verhoutua | to cover oneself |
| vieroittaa | to wean off sth | vieroittautua | to wean oneself off |
| virkistää | to freshen sth up | virkistäytyä | to freshen oneself up |
3. Example sentences of reflexive -utua/ytyä verbs
Below, you can find example sentences. I hope that these will give you a more concrete idea of how to use these verbs. If you’re a beginner, the sentences with a green verb are the ones to focus on.
| Finnish | English |
|---|---|
| Hän aseistautui veitsellä. | He armed himself with a knife. |
| Eristäydyin kavereistani. | I secluded myself from my friends. |
| Saanko esittäytyä? | May I introduce myself? |
| Hän heittäytyi maahan. | He threw himself on the ground. |
| Hän hirttäytyi metsässä. | He hung himself in the forest. |
| Miksi Aino hukuttautui? | Why did Aino drown herself? |
| Haluan ilmoittautua kurssille. | I want to sign up for the course. |
| Irrottauduin syleilystä. | I broke loose from the embrace. |
| Suomi julistautui itsenäiseksi. | Finland declared its independence. |
| Kaunistaudun juhlia varten. | I make myself pretty for the party. |
| Hän koristautui rannerenkailla. | She adorned herself with bracelets. |
| Muista kirjautua ulos! | Remember to log out! |
| Mies kohottautui sängystä. | The man got up from the bed. |
| Kietoudun neuletakkiini. | I wrap myself in my knit cardigan. |
| Sinä kääriydyit vilttiin. | You wrapped yourself in a blanket. |
| Älä näyttäydy täällä enää! | Don’t show yourself here anymore! |
| Älä piiloudu äläkä pakene! | Don’t hide yourself and don’t run! |
| Hän omistautui taiteeseen. | She dedicated herself to art. |
| Pakottauduin hymyilemään. | I forced myself to smile. |
| Hän aina uppoutuu työhönsä. | He’s always absorbed in his work. |
| Hän pelastautui liekeistä | She saved herself from the flames. |
| Peseydy kunnolla! |
Wash yourself properly! |
| Hän riisuutui ja sulkelsi. |
He undressed himself, then dived in. |
| Hän pudottautui polvilleen. | He dropped to his knees. |
| Puhdistaudu saunassa! | Cleanse yourself in the sauna! |
| Pukeuduin makuuhuoneessa. | I dressed myself in the bedroom. |
| Raahaudun kouluun. | I’m dragging myself to school. |
| Joukkue sijoittautui asemiinsa. | The team got into their positions. |
| Me suojauduimme kellariin. | We took cover in the basement. |
| Hän ujuttautui väkijoukkoon. | He snuck into the crowd. |
| Puolustauduin lyönneiltä. | I defended myself from punches. |
| Terästäydyin taistelemaan. | I steeled myself to fight. |
| Hän uhrautui lasten puolesta. | He sacrificed himself for the kids. |
| Valmistaudu kunnolla! | Prepare yourself properly! |
| Verhouduin pitkiin vaatteisiin. | I draped myself in long clothes. |
| Hän vieroittautui heroiinista. | He weaned himself off heroin. |
| Virkistäydy luonnossa! | Refresh yourself in nature! |
Did you find this article useful? Let me know in the comments!
Thank you for covering a topic not often found elsewhere. From a student perspective I find it confusing that, although grammatically correct, reflexive forms are so often avoided in practice, e.g. “pukeuduin makuuhuoneessa” replaced by “mä puin päälle” or “laitoin vaatteet päälle”. The reflexive form “pukeutua” seems to be restricted to something similar to “sonnustautua” (“deck oneself out”). I notice the English translation given for “hän riisuutui ja sukelsi” (or should that be “hän riisui ensin ja sukelsi”?) reads “he undressed himself and dove”, but I humbly suggest “went for a dive” or “then dived in” might be more appropriate, especially as a Finnish reader might misconstrue the sentence as having something to do with a “kyyhkysiä”!
Hei Hugh!
Yes, it’s confusing that this great way to say something with less words is less common in colloquial Finnish.
You can hear people use pukeutua in everyday speech, it’s just less common. Pukeutua is much more common that sonnustautua!
Kiitos for the suggestion about the English translation. I’ve adjusted that!