Questions & Answers about Tämä on katu, mutta mikä kaupunki tämä on?
Why is the word order mikä kaupunki tämä on instead of mikä kaupunki on tämä?
In Finnish questions that start with a question word like mikä (what), the word order is usually Question Word + Subject + Verb. So, mikä kaupunki (what city) comes first, followed by the subject tämä (this), and finally the verb on (is). This feels a bit backwards compared to the English 'what city is this?'.
Can mikä mean both 'what' and 'which'?
Yes! While mikä usually translates simply to 'what', when you place it directly in front of a noun like in mikä kaupunki (what city), it can be translated as either 'what' or 'which' depending on what sounds best in English.
There is no word for 'a' in Tämä on katu (This is a street). Does Finnish have words for 'a' or 'the'?
No, it does not! This is a great reminder that Finnish does not have articles like 'a', 'an', or 'the'. The single word katu can mean 'street', 'a street', or 'the street' depending entirely on the context of the conversation.
Why do we repeat tämä on in both halves of the sentence?
Just like in English, we need a subject and a verb for both halves of the sentence. The word mutta (but) connects two complete, independent thoughts, so the subject tämä (this) and the verb on (is) are simply stated again in the second half.