Breakdown of Pankki oli kiinni, mutta apteekki oli auki.
olla
to be
mutta
but
pankki
the bank
apteekki
pharmacy
auki
open
kiinni
closed
Questions & Answers about Pankki oli kiinni, mutta apteekki oli auki.
The current lesson covers the negative past tense. How would I change this sentence to say the bank 'was not' closed?
To say 'was not', you use the negative verb ei plus the past participle ollut. So, 'The bank wasn't closed' is Pankki ei ollut kiinni. In the Finnish past tense, you cannot just put ei in front of oli; the main verb has to change to its participle form.
Why do both halves of the sentence use the exact same verb word, oli?
Oli is the third-person singular past tense form of olla (to be). It translates to 'was' for he, she, or it. Since both pankki (the bank) and apteekki (the pharmacy) are singular 'it' nouns, they both take the exact same verb form.
Are kiinni and auki regular adjectives like uusi (new) or vanha (old)?
No, they are actually adverbs of state. This is great news for learners because it means they never change! Unlike normal adjectives, kiinni and auki do not take endings to match the noun. Even if you were talking about multiple banks, the word would still be just kiinni.
Does kiinni literally translate to 'closed'?
It translates to 'closed' when talking about businesses or doors, but its core meaning is 'attached', 'fastened', or 'shut'. You will often see kiinni used in other ways, such as pitää kiinni (to hold on to), so it is helpful to think of it as a general word for things being physically secured.
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