Breakdown of Minä olin harjoittelijana sairaalassa.
olla
to be
minä
I
sairaala
the hospital
harjoittelija
the trainee
Questions & Answers about Minä olin harjoittelijana sairaalassa.
Why is the word for "trainee" in this sentence harjoittelijana instead of just its basic form harjoittelija?
This showcases the essive case, which you are learning right now! Adding the ending -na or -nä expresses a role or a temporary state. Here, it translates to "as a trainee". While saying olin harjoittelija is grammatically possible, using the essive emphasizes that this was a temporary role or position you held, rather than your absolute permanent identity.
The English translation says "I was working", but there is no verb for "working" in the Finnish sentence. Where did it go?
You do not always need a separate verb for "working" in Finnish when stating your profession or role. The sentence literally translates to "I was as a trainee in a hospital". When you use the verb olla (to be) together with a profession in the essive case, the "working" part is automatically implied by the context.
Why does the ending on harjoittelijana use an -a instead of an -ä?
This is due to vowel harmony rules. The word harjoittelija contains the back vowels a and o. Because back vowels are present, they pull the ending to the back vowel version -na instead of the front vowel version -nä. The neutral vowels e and i in the word do not affect this rule.
Why does the sentence use sairaalassa instead of sairaalalla for "in a hospital"?
Sairaala means hospital. When you are physically inside a closed space or a building, Finnish uses the inessive ending -ssa or -ssä (meaning "in" or "inside"). The ending -lla or -llä would mean you are at or around the hospital, but not necessarily inside it.
Could I drop the word minä from the beginning of this sentence?
Yes, you can! You could simply say Olin harjoittelijana sairaalassa. The past tense verb olin (I was) already ends in -n, which clearly indicates that the subject is "I". Including minä is perfectly fine but often done just for slight emphasis.
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