Questions & Answers about Miten sinä voit?
The lesson is about question words like milloin and miksi. What kind of word is miten?
Miten is another common question word, and it means 'how'. Just like milloin (when) and miksi (why), it is placed at the very beginning of the question.
I thought the verb voida meant 'can' or 'to be able to'. Why is it translated as 'are' here?
You are exactly right! The verb voida usually means 'can'. However, it is also the verb Finns use to talk about physical or mental well-being. So, Miten sinä voit? literally means something closer to 'How do you feel?' or 'How are you doing?'.
Can I leave out the word sinä and just ask Miten voit?
Yes, you can! Because the verb voit ends in -t, it already shows that the subject is 'you'. In Finnish, it is very common to drop words like minä (I) and sinä (you) since the verb ending does the work for you.
How is Miten sinä voit? different from the common greeting Mitä kuuluu?
While both can be translated as 'How are you?', they have a different feel. Mitä kuuluu? is a standard, everyday greeting. Miten sinä voit? is a bit more personal and is used when you genuinely want to know how someone is feeling, often regarding their health or mood.
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