Setting Strict Conditions with Kunhan
When drafting contracts or making agreements, you often need to set an absolute condition. To express "provided that" or "as long as", use the subordinate conjunction kunhan.
| provided that | kunhan |
Like other conjunctions, kunhan links a main clause to a dependent clause without changing the standard Finnish word order.
| The license is binding, provided that we sign the agreement. | Lisenssi on sitova, kunhan allekirjoitamme sopimuksen. |
| You get the exclusive right, provided that you renew the contract. | Saat yksinoikeuden, kunhan uusit sopimuksen. |
| I will license the copyright, provided that you pay. | Lisensoin tekijänoikeuden, kunhan maksat. |
Contract Vocabulary in Context
Legal and business agreements frequently rely on specific terminology. Notice how compound words are formed for concepts like yksinoikeus (exclusive right) and tekijänoikeus (copyright).
| This clause is binding, provided that we accept it. | Tämä pykälä on sitova, kunhan hyväksymme sen. |
| The obligation is reasonable, provided that we get the exclusive right. | Velvoite on kohtuullinen, kunhan saamme yksinoikeuden. |
Consequences and Negative Conditions
Alongside kunhan, you will frequently see joten (so / therefore) used to introduce a logical consequence or result of a clause.
| The contractual penalty is huge, so we will not break the clause. | Sopimussakko on valtava, joten emme riko pykälää. |
To establish a strict negative condition, you can use the Finnish equivalent of "unless" or "if not". This is formed by combining jos (if) with the negative verb, meaning it must conjugate to match the subject of the clause (e.g., ellei for "unless he/she/it").
| The license will end, unless he handles the obligation. | Lisenssi loppuu, ellei hän hoida velvoitetta. |