poltti

Poltti is the simple past tense form of the Finnish verb polttaa, meaning to burn or ignite something. It describes a completed act of burning performed by a subject in the past. In standard Finnish, poltti is used with a direct object that is being burned, such as a candle or paper. The corresponding first-person past tense form is poltin (I burned).

Usage and examples

Poltti is commonly found in narrative or descriptive sentences. Examples include: Hän poltti kynttilän loppuun (He burned the candle down) and Minä poltin kynttilän (I burned a candle). The form is typically limited to third-person singular subjects when described in isolation, while the first-person past form is poltin.

Nuances

Poltti is not typically used to describe fires that involuntarily engulf large structures or landscapes. For such cases, Finnish often uses paloi/palavat or palaa, the past tense form of the verb palaa (to burn or catch fire): Talo paloi (The house burned). This distinction helps differentiate intentional burning of a controlled object from a fire event involving substantial damage.

Relation to related terms

Poltti derives from polttaa (to burn, to ignite). Related concepts include palaminen (burning as a process) and palaa (to burn or catch fire, especially in the sense of a fire starting or spreading). Understanding poltti within this family clarifies usage in tense and aspect in Finnish.

See also: polttaa, palaa, palo, palaminen.