Conditional Clauses with "Jos"
To express a condition and its outcome, use jos (if).
A conditional sentence contains a main clause (the outcome) and a subordinate clause (the condition). In Finnish, these are always separated by a comma.
Because Finnish does not have a distinct future tense, use the present tense for both the condition and its outcome.
| If it rains, we will change the plan. | Jos sataa, muutamme suunnitelman. |
| If the hall is cold, we have another alternative. | Jos sali on kylmä, meillä on toinen vaihtoehto. |
Clause Order
You can flip the sentence order, placing the jos clause at the end. The comma goes right before jos, and the internal word order of each clause stays the same.
| We will not make a new plan if this solution works. | Emme tee uutta suunnitelmaa, jos tämä ratkaisu toimii. |
| We do not need catering if the speakers leave soon. | Emme tarvitse tarjoilua, jos puhujat lähtevät kohta. |
Negative Conditions and Questions
Either the condition, the outcome, or both can be negative. Use the standard negative verb (en, et, ei, emme, ette, eivät) in the relevant clause.
| If the new schedule does not suit, the speaker will leave early. | Jos uusi aikataulu ei sovi, puhuja lähtee aikaisin. |
| If you cancel the event, I will not change these plans. | Jos te perutte tapahtuman, en muuta näitä suunnitelmia. |
You can also combine jos clauses with direct or indirect questions. A comma is still required to separate the clauses.
| If we do not choose this alternative, what is the new solution? | Jos emme valitse tätä vaihtoehtoa, mikä on uusi ratkaisu? |
| Do you know if they will change the schedule if the guest is late? | Tiedätkö, muuttavatko he aikataulun, jos vieras myöhästyy? |
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