Breakdown of Milloin kurssi alkaa, ja miksi loma loppuu?
ja
and
miksi
why
alkaa
to start
loppua
to end
milloin
when
loma
vacation
kurssi
course
Questions & Answers about Milloin kurssi alkaa, ja miksi loma loppuu?
In English, we ask "When does the course begin". Why isn't there a word for "does" in the Finnish sentence?
Finnish doesn't use helper verbs like "do" or "does" to form questions. You simply put the question word (milloin or miksi) at the beginning, followed by the subject (kurssi or loma) and the main verb (alkaa or loppuu).
Do milloin and miksi always go at the very start of the question?
Yes! Just like "when" and "why" in English, question words in Finnish take the very first spot in a sentence. Because this sentence is actually two smaller questions joined by ja (and), miksi sits at the start of the second question.
Why do both verbs here, alkaa and loppuu, end with double vowels?
This is how you form the "he/she/it" (third-person singular) present tense for most Finnish verbs. You take the verb stem and double its final vowel. The stem of "to begin" is alka-, which becomes alkaa (it begins). The stem of "to end" is loppu-, which becomes loppuu (it ends).
I noticed a comma before ja (and). Is that required in Finnish?
Yes, it is! In Finnish, you must use a comma before ja if it connects two complete thoughts that each have their own subject and verb. Since kurssi alkaa (the course begins) and loma loppuu (the vacation ends) could both stand alone as complete sentences, they need a comma between them.
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