Getting something done (saada tehtyä)

Getting Things Done: Saada Tehtyä

To express that you managed to complete a task or "got something done," Finnish uses a highly common three-part structure:

1. The verb saada (conjugated to match the subject).
2. The object (usually taking the -n ending).
3. The passive past participle of the action verb in the partitive case.

To form the passive past participle in the partitive, take the standard passive past participle (which usually ends in -tu/-ty or -ttu/-tty) and add an -a or -ä. For example, ratkaistu (solved) becomes ratkaistua.

Forming the Participle

Notice how the action verb transforms to describe the completed state:

• pysäyttää (to stop) -> pysäytetty -> pysäytettyä
• siirtää (to move) -> siirretty -> siirrettyä

More Actions

The object in this structure follows normal object rules.

Adding Particles for Emphasis

To emphasize that you accomplished something in addition to something else, you can attach the enclitic particle -kin (also, even, too). When adding -kin to the object, it attaches directly to the end of the word, after the case ending.