Puuttunut

Puuttunut is a Finnish adjective and past passive participle formed from the verb puuttua, meaning to be missing, absent, or lacking. It describes something that is not present when expected or required. The word is commonly used in contexts where information, resources, or items are not available or have not been provided.

In usage, puuttunut typically modifies a noun and can appear in various inflected forms to agree with number and case. For example, puuttunut can describe a singular item as puuttunut tieto (the missing information) or a plural as puuttuneet tiedot (the missing information). The particle is frequent in formal or written Finnish, such as reports, audits, data summaries, and administrative language. It contrasts with puuttuva, the present participle adjective meaning currently missing or lacking.

Common contexts for puuttunut include data or documents that are incomplete, funds that have not been secured, or personnel who are not present for a given task. Examples include phrases like puuttunut tieto hankkeen raportissa (the missing information in the project report) and puuttuneet tiedot osoittavat lisäselvityksen tarpeen (the missing data indicate a need for further clarification).

Related forms include puuttuva (present missing) and puuttuminen (the act or state of being absent, absence, or lack). Puuttunut is primarily used when emphasizing that something has not been present or available in a past or definite sense, while puuttuva emphasizes the ongoing absence.

In English, puuttunut is commonly translated as missing or lacking.