Breakdown of Pulman ratkaisu osoittautui täysin odottamattomaksi.
ratkaisu
solution
täysin
completely
pulma
puzzle
osoittautua
to turn out to be
odottamaton
unexpected
Questions & Answers about Pulman ratkaisu osoittautui täysin odottamattomaksi.
Why does the sentence use the form odottamattomaksi instead of just odottamaton?
The verb osoittautua (to turn out to be) requires the word describing the outcome to be in the translative case. The translative case is marked by the ending -ksi, which shows a transition or a state that something is revealed to be. So, odottamaton (unexpected) becomes odottamattomaksi.
How is the word odottamaton built, and why does it change to odottamattoma- before adding the -ksi ending?
It comes from the verb odottaa (to wait / to expect) combined with the negative suffix -maton (meaning 'without' or 'un-'). Words ending in -ton or -tön change this ending to -ttoma- or -ttömä- when adding case endings. That is why the stem of odottamaton becomes odottamattoma- before attaching the translative -ksi.
Since odottamattomaksi is in the translative case, why doesn't täysin (completely) also take a translative ending?
Because täysin is an adverb modifying the adjective, not an adjective itself. In Finnish, adverbs do not agree with the case of the words they modify. Only adjectives modifying nouns must change their case to match.
Could I use the word ongelman instead of pulman here?
Yes, you could say ongelman ratkaisu (the solution to the problem). Pulma and ongelma are often interchangeable, but pulma usually implies a tricky puzzle, dilemma, or brain-teaser, whereas ongelma is the standard word for any general problem.
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