Pelittää

Pelittää is a colloquial Finnish verb meaning to function properly or to go smoothly. It is used to describe devices, systems, plans, processes, or social situations that work as intended and meet expectations. The sense is that there are no major problems and that things are running efficiently.

Use and contexts

Pelittää is common in spoken Finnish across age groups and regions. It can refer to tangible things like machinery or software (Tämä laite pelittää), as well as to more abstract arrangements such as plans or routines (Homma pelittää nyt). It is often used to convey a sense of reliability or ease, for example when everything is going as planned or when a solution finally works.

Grammatical notes

Pelittää is an intransitive verb and is typically used in the present tense in informal speech. In negative form, speakers often say ei pelitä, which is a common colloquial negation. The term is predominantly used in everyday language; in formal contexts, more neutral expressions such as toimia or sujuminen are preferred.

Meaning and nuances

The expression carries a positive connotation: things are functioning well, without friction or delay. It is less suitable for describing ongoing problems or partial success; in those cases other verbs or phrases are used. Pelittää can also imply that an arrangement is practical and workable, sometimes with an emphasis on efficiency or convenience.

Related terms

Synonyms in formal Finnish include toimia, sujua, and toimivuus in noun form. Pelittää remains the common choice for casual, everyday evaluation of how well things work.