passive

Passive is in fact the 4th person in plural or the indefinite person(s)

With 'we' in puhekieli

In English you would typically ask someone How do you say ...? But you do not mean specifically the individual you are talking with but rather you, people in general.

Kuinka sanotaan...? How do you say...?

It's kind of nice that in Finnish we have made the English you, people more inclusive by using me (we, us)!

Me mennään Lappiin jouluksi. We will be going to Lappland for Christmas.

Me käydään lomalla Kanarian saarilla. We will go to Canary islands on vacation.

Suomessa me käytetään paljon puhekieltä. People use a lot of colloquial language in Finland.

Me puhuttiin siitä lauantaina. We discussed it on Saturday.

In 'let's' suggestions to people around you

Mennään kaljalle! Let's go for a beer!

Ostetaan uusi auto! Let's buy a new car!

Plural human agents, like people, they, you

Suomessa ajetaan paljon pyörällä töihin. People bike a lot to work.

Uskotaanko Amerikassa ilmaston muutokseen? Do people in America believe in climate change?

Actions with deliberate will !!!

This has an interesting consequence. The agent even if not mentioned has to be human, in fact many humans.

Rikospaikalta löydettiin jalanjälkiä. Footprints were found at the crime scene.

This means that the policemen were deliberately looking for them. However, if they just stumbled on the footprints the sentence would have to read Rikospaikalta löytyi jalanjälkiä. But the English translation would remain the same.

Now try to convert this passive English sentence into Finnish: He was killed in a car accident (see the answer at the bottom of the section).

Both with transitive and intransitive verbs (unlike English)

Tuetaanko presidenttiä nyt vähemmän? Do people support the president less now?

Saunassa käytiin ennen vain lauantaina. In the past people went to sauna only on Saturday.

Real action, not just potential

Koulu aloitetaan seitsenvuotiaana. People start school at 7 years of age.

Aamiainen tarjoillaan klo 7-10. The breakfast is served from 7 to 10.

The agents are unknown or unimportant

Työt on aina aloitettu klo 8. People have always started the job at 8.

So an English sentence that names the agent with a preposition by could not be translated into Finnish using passive.

The safe bet is to translate a Finnish passive sentence into English by using you, people, they, Americans, etc.

Answer: Hän kuoli auto-onnettomuudessa. He died in a car accident.