Questions & Answers about Hymyiletkö nyt?
How does the word hymyiletkö turn into a question?
In Finnish, you form a yes/no question by adding the ending -ko or -kö to the word you are asking about. Here, we attach it directly to the verb hymyilet (you smile) to ask "are you smiling?".
Why is the question ending -kö instead of -ko?
This is because of vowel harmony. The vowels in the base word are y, e, and i. Because y is a front vowel, the ending must also use a front vowel. Therefore, we use -kö with an ö instead of -ko with an o.
Where is the word for "you" in this sentence?
The word for "you" is built right into the verb! The -t at the end of hymyilet tells us the subject is "you". Because this ending is so clear, Finnish speakers usually drop the actual pronoun sinä (you).
Does Finnish have a difference between "are you smiling" and "do you smile"?
No, Finnish uses the same verb form for both. Hymyilet can mean "you smile" or "you are smiling". The word nyt (now) gives us the clue that the action is happening right this second!
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