Formal Conditions with "mikäli"
In everyday Finnish, you use the word jos to say "if." However, when reading official documents like contracts, terms of service, or insurance policies, you will frequently encounter the formal conjunction mikäli.
Mikäli translates to "in the event that," "provided that," or simply a very formal "if." It works exactly like jos grammatically to introduce a conditional clause, but it sets a much more official, administrative tone.
| In the event that the damage is compensable, the customer pays only the deductible. | Mikäli vahinko on korvattava, asiakas maksaa vain omavastuun. |
Policy Coverage and Validity
Insurance policies often outline exactly what is covered, such as your movable property (irtaimisto), and state whether the policy is comprehensive (kattava).
| In the event that the insurance is comprehensive, it protects the movable property as well. | Mikäli vakuutus on kattava, se suojaa myös irtaimiston. |
Contracts also dictate strict timeframes. If an event, such as an illness (sairaus), occurs when a contract is not currently valid (voimassa), your right to compensation might become void (raueta).
| In the event that the illness began when the contract was not valid, the right becomes void. | Mikäli sairaus alkoi, kun sopimus ei ollut voimassa, oikeus raukeaa. |
Claims and Processing
When you file a claim, the processing (käsittely) of your application heavily depends on providing the right evidence, such as attaching (liittää) your receipts or photos.
| In the event that the customers have not attached the receipts, the processing is delayed. | Mikäli asiakkaat eivät ole liittäneet kuitteja, käsittely viivästyy. |
Just like jos, the conjunction mikäli can start a sentence or be placed in the middle to link the condition to the main clause.
| The damage is compensable in the event that you have attached all the receipts. | Vahinko on korvattava, mikäli olette liittäneet kaikki kuitit. |