Breakdown of Missä ne vanhat kirjat ovat?
olla
to be
kirja
book
missä
where
ne
they / those (non-human) / they (of people)
vanha
old
Questions & Answers about Missä ne vanhat kirjat ovat?
Why is ne used for 'those' here instead of nuo?
Both ne and nuo mean 'those' or 'they', but they are used in different situations. You use nuo for things you can physically see and point at. Because the speaker is asking missä (where), the books are out of sight. ne is the natural choice for things you can't see or are just bringing up in conversation.
Why do both vanhat and kirjat end with a -t?
In Finnish, adjectives have to match the noun they are describing. The basic word for book is kirja, and adding -t makes it the plural kirjat. Because the noun is plural, the adjective vanha (old) must also get a -t ending to become vanhat.
Could I use on instead of ovat in this sentence?
In standard or written Finnish, you must use ovat. Because the subject ne vanhat kirjat is plural, the verb has to be in the 'they are' form. However, in casual spoken Finnish, it is extremely common for people to just use the singular on for plural subjects too (saying Missä ne vanhat kirjat on?).
Why is the verb ovat at the very end of the sentence?
In English, we usually put the verb right after the question word ('Where are those books?'). In Finnish 'where' questions, the standard word order is to put the question word (missä), then the subject (ne vanhat kirjat), and finally the verb (ovat) at the end.
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