Learn Hardcore Finnish: Lopulta sopiva koko löytyi varastosta. - Finally the right size was found in the storeroom.

Lopulta means “finally,” “in the end,” or “eventually.” It’s an adverb placed here at the beginning to show that after some process or delay, the suitable size was finally found. You could move it elsewhere for different emphasis (e.g. “Sopiva koko löytyi lopulta varastosta”).

Why is the verb löytyi used instead of a form of löytää, and what exactly does löytyä mean?

Löytyi is the past tense of the intransitive verb löytyä, which means “to be found” or “to be available.” It focuses on the item (the size) appearing or being discovered, not on someone doing the finding. In contrast, löytää is transitive and means “to find” (you find something).

Why is varastosta in the -sta case, and what nuance does that add?

Varastosta is the elative case of varasto (“warehouse,” “storage,” or “stock”). The -sta/-stä ending indicates movement out of or origin from something, so varastosta translates as “from the warehouse” or “out of stock.”

What are the grammatical forms of sopiva and koko here, and why are they used this way?

Both sopiva (“suitable”) and koko (“size”) are in the singular nominative case. koko is the subject of the sentence (what was found), and the adjective sopiva agrees with it in case and number. Together they mean “a/the suitable size.”

How flexible is the word order in Finnish, and what changes if we reorder this sentence?

Finnish word order is relatively free and mainly affects emphasis.

“Lopulta sopiva koko löytyi varastosta” (adverb–subject–verb–place) is neutral.
“Varastosta löytyi lopulta sopiva koko” emphasizes the location first.
“Sopiva koko löytyi varastosta lopulta” shifts focus to lopulta at the end.
Each variation remains grammatically correct but highlights different parts.

Why is there no article like “the” before sopiva koko, and how is definiteness expressed in Finnish?

Finnish doesn’t use articles (no “a” or “the”). Definiteness or indefiniteness comes from context, word order, or sometimes possessive endings. Here, English translates sopiva koko as “the suitable size” because context makes it definite (both speaker and listener know which size).