Learn Hardcore Finnish: Minä selvisin tehtävästä ajoissa.

Minä = I (subject pronoun; optional in Finnish)
selvisin = I managed/got through/finished (past tense, 1st person singular of the intransitive verb selvitä)
tehtävästä = from the task/assignment/exercise (elative case singular of tehtävä)
ajoissa = on time / in time (adverb)

Why is “tehtävästä” in the -stä (elative) case?

Because selvitä typically takes the elative: selvitä jostakin = “to get through/out of something; to manage/survive something.” The elative signals “out of/from,” which fits the idea of emerging from a task. English uses a direct object (“finish the task”), but Finnish frames it as getting out of/from the task.

Can I say “selvisin tehtävän” with a direct object?

No. Selvitä is intransitive and does not take a direct object; it governs the elative: selvitä tehtävästä. If you want a transitive verb that takes a direct object, use selvittää (“to figure out/clarify/solve”): Selvitin tehtävän = “I solved the task/exercise,” which is a different verb and nuance.

What tense and form is “selvisin,” and how is it built?

It’s the past tense (preterite), 1st person singular indicative of selvitä. Formation: stem selvi- + past marker -si- + personal ending -n → selvi-si-n. Examples: selvisit (you), selvisi (he/she), selvisimme (we).

Do I need to include “Minä,” or can I drop it?

You can drop it: Selvisin tehtävästä ajoissa. Finnish verb endings show the person, so the pronoun is only needed for emphasis or contrast (e.g., Minä selvisin, mutta hän ei).

What exactly does “ajoissa” mean, and how is it different from “aikaisin” and “ajallaan”?

ajoissa = “on time / in time (before a deadline)” (neutral, common)
aikaisin = “early” (earlier than usual/expected)
ajallaan = “at the proper time / in due course / on time” (a bit more formal or measured) Examples:
Olin ajoissa. = I was on time (not late).
Olin aikaisin. = I was early.
Se palautettiin ajallaan. = It was returned on time/in due course.

Can I change the word order?

Yes, Finnish allows flexible order for emphasis:

Neutral: Minä selvisin tehtävästä ajoissa.
Emphasizing timeliness: Ajoissa selvisin tehtävästä.
Contrasting the task: Tehtävästä selvisin ajoissa, mutta projektista en. The original order is the most neutral; moving elements to the front highlights them.

What are good synonyms or alternative ways to say this?

Suoriuduin tehtävästä ajoissa. (more formal/neutral “I completed the task on time”)
Sain tehtävän valmiiksi ajoissa. (“I got the task finished on time”)
Colloquial subject change: Tehtävä valmistui ajoissa. (“The task got finished on time,” focusing on the task)

How do I say it in the negative and in the perfect?

Past negative: En selvinnyt tehtävästä ajoissa. = I didn’t manage (to finish) the task on time.
Perfect: Olen selvinnyt tehtävästä ajoissa. = I have managed to finish the task on time.
Perfect negative: En ole selvinnyt tehtävästä ajoissa.

How do I ask “Did you manage to finish the task on time?” in Finnish?

Selvisitko tehtävästä ajoissa? (2nd person singular past + question clitic -ko/-kö). Plural/formal: Selvisittekö tehtävästä ajoissa?

Can I use “selviydyin” instead of “selvisin”? Is there a nuance?

Yes: Selviydyin tehtävästä ajoissa works. Selviytyä is a near-synonym of selvitä, often a bit more formal or carrying a sense of overcoming difficulty/survival. In everyday talk for tasks, selvitä is slightly more common; selviytyä can sound weightier.

What case/number is “tehtävästä,” and how do I change it for plural or possession?

tehtävästä = elative singular (“from the task”).
Plural: tehtävistä (“from the tasks”): Selvisin tehtävistä ajoissa.
With possession: tehtävästäni (“from my task”), tehtävästäsi (“from your task”), etc.

Does “selvitä” have other meanings I should know?

Yes. It also means “to become clear/known”: Selvisi, että koe siirtyy. = “It turned out that the exam is postponed.” Context decides whether it’s “manage/survive/get through” or “become clear.”

Is there a register difference between standard and spoken Finnish here?

Spoken Finnish often shortens:

Mä selvisin tehtävästä ajoissa. (colloquial)
You might also hear dropping the final vowel in fast speech, but selvisin and tehtävästä are standard and widely used even in speech.

What’s the relationship between “tehtävä” and the verb “tehdä” (“to do”)?

Tehtävä is a noun derived from tehdä (“to do/make”), historically the passive participle form meaning “something to be done,” hence “task/assignment.” That’s why it commonly means an exercise or assignment in school/work contexts.