In this lesson, we'll learn how to express that a situation has reached a point where a specific consequence follows.
The Structure: Sen verran ... että
To link a degree or amount to a resulting action, Finnish uses the correlative pair sen verran ... että (so much / to such an extent that).
- sen verran is placed in the main clause to indicate the intensity, degree, or amount.
- että (that) introduces the subordinate clause detailing the consequence.
Let's see how this works when modifying an adjective like painava (heavy):
| This hiking backpack is so heavy that I have to rest. | Tämä rinkka on sen verran painava, että minun täytyy levätä. |
It works the same way to describe harsh conditions on the trail:
| The path was so bad that the new shoes started to chafe. | Polku oli sen verran huono, että uudet kengät alkoivat hiertää. |
Modifying Adverbs and Verbs
You can also use sen verran to describe the extent of an action. It is often paired with adverbs like paljon (a lot) or kauan (for a long time), but it can also directly modify a verb.
Notice how it pairs with paljon to describe the weight of the load:
| The backpack weighs so much that my shoulders go numb quickly. | Rinkka painaa sen verran paljon, että hartiat puutuvat nopeasti. |
Here it pairs with kauan to emphasize the duration of the struggle:
| I dragged the load so long that I was too tired to speak. | Raahasin kuormaa sen verran kauan, että olin liian väsynyt puhuakseni. |
Using it in Questions
The structure remains consistent even when the main clause is a question. If your hiking buddy is running out of steam, you might ask:
| Did he run out of steam on the trail so much that we have to make camp right away? | Hyytyikö hän polulla sen verran, että meidän täytyy leiriytyä heti? |
Finally, when the exhaustion truly sets in, the consequence clause explains what drastic measures you are forced to take:
| My shoulders went so numb that I had to drag the backpack on the ground. | Hartiat puutuivat sen verran, että rinkkaa oli pakko raahata maassa. |