Puuttumaan

Puuttumaan is a Finnish verb meaning to be missing, to be absent, or to be lacking. It is used to describe something that should be present but is not, such as a person who does not attend an event, an item that is not found in a collection, or information that is not available. The verb is intransitive and commonly appears with source phrases, for example luettelosta puuttuu nimi (the name is missing from the list) or tiedot puuttuvat raportista (the information is missing from the report).

Conjugation and forms are typical of Finnish verbs. Present tense is puuttuu (it is missing), past tense is puuttui (it was missing), and the perfect participle is puuttunut (missing). The noun form puuttuminen refers to the state of being missing or lacking, and can be used in formal writing to describe omissions, gaps in data, or absences in plans or arrangements.

The non-finite form puuttumaan exists as part of the Finnish to-infinitive family and is used in certain grammatical constructions, often with other verbs or in subordinate clauses to express purpose or modality. In everyday use, speakers more frequently rely on the finite forms (puuttuu, puuttui) to convey absence or lack.

Usage notes and synonyms: puuttua is commonly preferred for reporting absence in concrete contexts (a person, an item, or data). In contrast, puutos or puuttuminen emphasize the state of deficiency or omission. The word is neutral and widely used in both spoken and written Finnish, including journalism, technical writing, and everyday conversation.

See also: puuttuminen, puuttua.