Pulma ratkesi lopulta.

finally

Breakdown of Pulma ratkesi lopulta.

• pulma: the puzzle; conundrum
• ratketa: to be resolved

Questions & Answers about Pulma ratkesi lopulta.

Why is the verb ratkesi and not ratkaisi?

Because these are two different verbs:

• ratketa = to be solved, to come undone, to resolve itself
• ratkaista = to solve something

So:

• Pulma ratkesi lopulta. = the problem got solved / was solved in the end
• Joku ratkaisi pulman lopulta. = someone solved the problem in the end

This is a very common Finnish distinction: one verb is intransitive and describes something happening, while the other is transitive and takes an object.

What form is pulma here?

Pulma is nominative singular.

In this sentence it is the subject of the verb:

• pulma = the problem / puzzle
• ratkesi = got solved
• lopulta = finally / in the end

So pulma is the thing that underwent the change.

Why is there no object in the sentence?

Because ratketa is an intransitive verb here. It does not take an object in this meaning.

Compare:

• Pulma ratkesi.
  The problem got solved.
  → no object

• Hän ratkaisi pulman.
  He/she solved the problem.
  → pulman is the object

That is why you see pulma in the nominative, not an object form.