Questions & Answers about Joo, me olemme kahvilassa.
Why does the sentence start with joo instead of kyllä?
Joo is a very common, casual way to say "yes" or "yeah" in spoken Finnish. Kyllä is the standard or formal word for "yes". You will hear joo all the time in everyday conversations!
Can I just say olemme instead of me olemme?
Yes! Because the verb ending -mme already tells us the subject is "we", the pronoun me is technically optional. However, it is very common to include it, especially in everyday speech or for emphasis.
Where is the word for "at" or "in" in this sentence?
Finnish usually attaches endings to words instead of using separate small words like "in" or "at". Here, the ending -ssa is attached directly to kahvila (cafe) to make kahvilassa (in the cafe).
The English translation says "at the cafe", but doesn't -ssa mean "inside"?
Yes, the -ssa ending technically means "in" or "inside". In English, we often say "at the cafe" to refer to the location, but in Finnish, if you are spending time inside the establishment, it is natural to use the "inside" ending -ssa.
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