Learn Finnish: Pomo nimitti minut projektin uudeksi vastuuhenkilöksi. - The boss appointed me as the project's new person in charge.

The verb nimittää (to appoint) requires the role you are appointed to be in the translative case (ending in -ksi). The translative case often expresses a change of state or taking on a new role, which perfectly fits the idea of being appointed to a new position.

Why does the adjective uusi change to uudeksi instead of just adding the case ending?

Adjectives must agree with the noun they modify, so uusi must also be in the translative case. For older Finnish words ending in -si, the stem changes to -te- or -de- before adding endings. Here, consonant gradation gives us the weak grade -de- before the -ksi ending, resulting in uudeksi.

Why is the object minut instead of the partitive minua?

The verb nimittää takes a total object because the action of appointing is a completed, definitive action. For personal pronouns like minä, the total object uses the special accusative ending -t, making it minut. If the sentence were negative, it would require the partitive: Pomo ei nimittänyt minua.

How does the word order work with projektin placed where it is?