To express that you can afford something or have the time to do it, Finnish doesn't use a special verb like "afford." Instead, use the standard "I have" structure alongside the resource (time or money) and an infinitive.
The Possessive Resource Construction
To build this structure, follow this formula:
- Adessive Subject: The person who has the resource (e.g., minulla, sinulla, hänellä).
- Verb: The fixed verb on (or the negative ei ole).
- Partitive Resource Noun: The resource you possess, in the partitive case.
- 1st Infinitive: The dictionary form of the action verb you want to perform.
To express having the financial means, use the partitive form of vara (means / funds).
| means / funds | vara |
Follow varaa directly with the action verb:
| I cannot afford to buy a new sailboat. | Minulla ei ole varaa ostaa uutta purjevenettä. |
| We cannot afford to take a long trip abroad this year. | Meillä ei ole varaa tehdä pitkää ulkomaanmatkaa tänä vuonna. |
Having the Time
Use the exact same structure for time. Just replace varaa with aikaa (the partitive form of aika, "time").
| He finally has time to start a new language course. | Hänellä on vihdoin aikaa aloittaa uusi kielikurssi. |
| I do not have time to play golf with my friend. | Minulla ei ole aikaa pelata golfia ystäväni kanssa. |
Questions and Conditions
To ask if someone has the time or money, turn the verb olla into a question by adding the -ko suffix and moving it to the front of the sentence (Onko sinulla...?, Onko meillä...?).
| Can you afford to buy that expensive designer garment? | Onko sinulla varaa ostaa tuo kallis merkkivaate? |
You will also frequently see this structure used in conditional sentences starting with jos (if).
| If you have money, you can afford to pamper yourself. | Jos sinulla on rahaa, sinulla on varaa hemmotella itseäsi. |
| If I finish work early, I have time to book a massage. | Jos lopetan työt aikaisin, minulla on aikaa varata hieronta. |
Spoken Pronouns
In spoken or casual Finnish, the formal pronouns minulla and sinulla are often shortened to mulla (I have) and sulla (you have).
| I can afford to buy this kind of luxury. | Mulla on varaa ostaa tällaista luksusta. |
| You have time to do horseback riding with me. | Sulla on aikaa harrastaa ratsastusta mun kanssa. |