In this lesson, you will practice discussing crafts, tools, and DIY projects. To talk about completed projects, you will learn to use the perfect tense (e.g., "I have built").
Forming the Perfect Tense
The perfect tense is formed with the conjugated verb olla (to be) acting as a helper verb, followed by the active past participle of the main verb. For Verb Types 1 and 2 in the singular, this participle ends in -nut or -nyt (following standard vowel harmony rules).
Verb Type 1: Infinitive Stem + -nut / -nyt
For Verb Type 1, drop the final -a or -ä from the dictionary form to get the infinitive stem, then add -nut or -nyt. The past participle for Verb Type 1 always keeps the strong grade of the stem consonant (the same grade found in the dictionary form).
| Dictionary Form | Infinitive Stem | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| piirtää (to draw) | piirtä- | piirtänyt |
| rakentaa (to build) | rakenta- | rakentanut |
| neuloa (to knit) | neulo- | neulonut |
| I have drawn that picture. | Minä olen piirtänyt tuon kuvan. |
| Have you built the table yourself? | Oletko sinä rakentanut pöydän itse? |
| Mother has knitted a shirt because the weather is cool. | Äiti on neulonut paidan, koska sää on viileä. |
Verb Type 2: Drop -da / -dä + -nut / -nyt
For Verb Type 2, simply drop the -da or -dä ending from the dictionary form, and add -nut or -nyt directly to the remaining stem.
| Dictionary Form | Stem | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| tehdä (to make / to do) | teh- | tehnyt |
| tuoda (to bring) | tuo- | tuonut |
| Someone has made this new project. | Joku on tehnyt tämän uuden projektin. |
| He has brought a board and twelve nails. | Hän on tuonut laudan ja kaksitoista naulaa. |
Crafting and DIY Projects
Now you can combine these past participles with new vocabulary for tools and materials to describe completed projects.
| tool | työkalu |
| Who has brought these tools? | Kuka on tuonut nämä työkalut? |
| Who has made this hole in the board? | Kuka on tehnyt tämän reiän lautaan? |
| The girl has drawn a picture, and the boy has knitted a sock. | Tyttö on piirtänyt kuvan, ja poika on neulonut sukan. |