Questions & Answers about Onko tuo auto huono?
Why is the question ending -ko used here instead of -kö?
The word it attaches to is on (is). Because the vowel o in on is a back vowel, vowel harmony rules say we must use the back vowel version of the ending, which is -ko. If the word had front vowels like ä, ö, or y, we would use -kö.
Why does the sentence start with Onko?
In Finnish, you make a yes/no question by taking the main word you are asking about, adding -ko or -kö, and moving it to the very beginning of the sentence. Since you are asking if the car is bad, the verb on (is) gets the question ending.
Notice how tuo, auto, and huono only have the vowels a, o, and u. Is this vowel harmony too?
Yes! Vowel harmony does not just apply to endings. Inside any single Finnish word, you will generally only see back vowels (a, o, u) or front vowels (ä, ö, y). They never mix. The vowels e and i are neutral and can mix with either group.
Could I ask this by just saying Tuo auto on huono? with a rising tone, like in English?
No, Finnish does not typically use tone of voice to turn a statement into a question. You must use the -ko or -kö ending and change the word order to make a yes/no question.
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