Having Things Done: -uttaa / -yttää
In English, you use phrases like "I had the car repaired" or "I am having my hair cut." In Finnish, you express outsourcing an action by changing the verb itself.
Add -uttaa or -yttää (depending on vowel harmony) to a verb root to show that the subject is paying, asking, or causing someone else to do the action.
Everyday Errands
This suffix is incredibly common for everyday chores and services. For example, leikata (to cut) becomes leikkauttaa (to have cut), and vaihtaa (to change) becomes vaihdattaa (to have changed).
Similarly, pestä (to wash) becomes pesettää.
Outsourcing and Projects
You will also use these verbs when commissioning larger projects, delegating tasks at work, or hiring freelancers.
Rakentaa (to build) turns into rakennuttaa (to have built), and tehdä (to make) becomes teettää (to have made).
For office work or document processing, kääntää (to translate) becomes käännättää and tarkistaa (to check) becomes tarkistuttaa.
Tense and Negation
Once a verb has the -uttaa / -yttää suffix, it behaves like a normal Finnish verb. Standard personal endings, tense markers, and question markers attach directly to the new curative stem.
