Breakdown of Tietokone on vihdoin käynnistynyt.
olla
to be
tietokone
computer
vihdoin
finally
käynnistyä
to start up
Questions & Answers about Tietokone on vihdoin käynnistynyt.
Why is the verb käynnistynyt (from käynnistyä) used here instead of käynnistää?
Käynnistyä is an automative verb ending in the -tyä suffix. It means that something starts up on its own or undergoes a change automatically (intransitive), like a computer booting up. If you used the transitive verb käynnistää, you would need to specify who started it, as in Minä käynnistin tietokoneen (I started the computer).
Why does this verb take the -tyä suffix instead of -tua?
The choice between -tua and -tyä depends on vowel harmony. Because the root word contains the front vowels ä and y (it comes from the word käynti), the suffix must also use the front vowel y, making it -tyä.
Why does the verb end in -nyt rather than just being conjugated like a normal past tense verb?
The sentence is in the perfect tense ("has started up"). To form this, Finnish uses the auxiliary verb on along with the past participle of the main verb, which always ends in -nut or -nyt. For käynnistyä, this form is käynnistynyt.
Could I put vihdoin at the very beginning of the sentence?
Yes, you could say Vihdoin tietokone on käynnistynyt if you want to heavily emphasize the word "finally" (as in "FINALLY, the computer has started"). However, placing it right between the helper verb (on) and the main verb (käynnistynyt) is the most natural and common word order for this tense.
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