Learn Hardcore Finnish: Jos epäonnistun, yritän silti ratkaista ongelman uudella tavalla. - If I fail, I still try to solve the problem in a new way.

Finnish typically uses the present indicative for future meanings, especially in conditionals. Both clauses here are in the present: Jos epäonnistun and yritän, but the meaning is future from context. You don’t need (and usually shouldn’t use) “tulen yrittämään” or similar.

Why is there a comma after the jos-clause?

In Finnish, a subordinate clause (like jos + clause) is separated from the main clause by a comma when it comes first: Jos epäonnistun, yritän…. If you reverse the order, you still use a comma: Yritän silti…, jos epäonnistun.

Do I need to say the pronoun minä?

No. The verb ending -n already marks 1st person singular (epäonnistun, yritän). You can add Minä for emphasis: Minä yritän silti…, but it’s not required.

What exactly does silti mean, and how is it different from kuitenkin or sittenkin?

silti = nevertheless, still (in spite of what was just said). It fits well after an “if”-clause: “If X, I’ll still Y.”
kuitenkin ≈ however/nonetheless; a bit more formal and very common.
sittenkin = after all/ultimately (often implies a change of mind or an unexpected outcome). Here, silti is ideal. You can replace it with kuitenkin with minimal change in meaning.

Where does silti go in the sentence?

Most natural:

Yritän silti ratkaista…
Silti yritän ratkaista… (fronted for emphasis)

Avoid placing it deep inside the verb + object cluster (e.g., “yritän ratkaista silti ongelman” is awkward). Also, don’t put it in the jos-clause: not “Jos epäonnistun silti,…”.

Why is it yritän ratkaista, not yritän ratkaisen?

Because yrittää takes the 1st infinitive (dictionary form) of the next verb: yritän ratkaista (“I try to solve”), yritämme oppia, etc. Not a finite verb form. Also not ratkaisemaan; the -mA form is used after certain verbs (e.g., mennä/ryhtyä tekemään), not after yrittää.

Why is it ongelman and not ongelma or ongelmaa?

ongelman is the “total object” form (morphologically genitive, functionally accusative) and suits a telic, complete result: “solve the problem.”
ongelmaa (partitive) would emphasize an ongoing process without guaranteeing completion: “try to work on solving the problem.” With yrittää, both are possible. Your sentence chooses ongelman to present the intended outcome as complete.

Is ongelman genitive or accusative here?

Formally it’s genitive (-n), but in function it’s the singular “total object,” i.e., the accusative role. In Finnish, the singular total object of a noun often looks like the genitive.

What case is uudella tavalla, and why is it used?

Both words are in the adessive (-lla/-llä): uudella (from uusi) + tavalla (from tapa). The adessive is commonly used to express manner: “in a new way.”

Can I replace uudella tavalla with something shorter?

Yes: toisin (“differently”) is a very natural alternative: …yritän silti ratkaista ongelman toisin. You can also say eri tavalla (“in a different way”).

Can I say uudelleen or uudesti instead?

uudelleen = again/once more (repetition), not “in a new way.”
uudesti is archaic/stylistic. For “in a new way,” stick to uudella tavalla or toisin.

What’s the difference between jos, kun, and vaikka here?

jos = if (uncertain condition): fits your sentence.
kun = when/whenever (something expected or certain).
vaikka = even though/although; with conditional it means “even if.” Example: Vaikka epäonnistuisin, yrittäisin silti…

How would the more hypothetical conditional version look?

Jos epäonnistuisin, yrittäisin silti ratkaista ongelman uudella tavalla. Using the conditional -isi- makes it more tentative/hypothetical. Often the main clause is conditional; the jos-clause can be either indicative or conditional depending on nuance.

Can I reorder the clauses?

Yes: Yritän silti ratkaista ongelman uudella tavalla, jos epäonnistun. The meaning stays the same; the initial jos version slightly foregrounds the condition.

What does the -n at the end of epäonnistun/yritän/ongelman indicate?

On verbs (epäonnistun, yritän): 1st person singular present.
On nouns (ongelman): genitive singular (used here as the total object/accusative form).

Could I say en onnistu instead of epäonnistun?

Both are possible but nuance differs:

epäonnistun = “I fail” (clear failure).
en onnistu = “I don’t succeed” (softer, may sound less absolute). Context decides which feels more natural.

Is ratkaista the best verb here? What about selvittää?

ratkaista = to solve/resolve (bring to a solution).
selvittää = to figure out/clarify; can also mean resolve, but often focuses on analyzing/clarifying the issue. Both can work, but ratkaista ongelman is the standard for “solve the problem.”

Are there synonyms for yrittää?

koettaa ≈ try/attempt (slightly more literary).
kokeilla = to try out/test something (takes the thing tested as an object): e.g., kokeilen uutta tapaa (“I’ll try a new way”), not “kokeilen ratkaista.”