Breakdown of Koira on sairas, mutta sen täytyy odottaa.
olla
to be
koira
dog
se
it / he / she (of a person) / that
mutta
but
sairas
sick
odottaa
to wait
täytyä
to have to
Questions & Answers about Koira on sairas, mutta sen täytyy odottaa.
Why does the sentence use sen instead of se for 'it'?
Will täytyy change form if we talk about multiple dogs?
No, it will not. The verb täytyy is special because it never changes its ending to match the subject. It is always just täytyy, whether it is one dog (sen täytyy) or many dogs (niiden täytyy).
Why is the verb odottaa used in its basic form here?
Because it follows täytyy. When you use an obligation or modal verb in Finnish, the action verb that comes right after it is always in its basic dictionary form (the infinitive).
Why do we use a form of se (it) for a dog? Don't pets get a personal pronoun?
In standard written Finnish, the pronoun hän (he or she) is strictly used for human beings. Animals, including pets like dogs, are always referred to as se (it).
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