Breakdown of Me epäilemme, että sinä olet sairas.
olla
to be
sinä
you
me
we
sairas
sick
että
that (conjunction)
epäillä
to doubt
Questions & Answers about Me epäilemme, että sinä olet sairas.
Why is there a comma before että?
In Finnish, you must place a comma between the main sentence and a subordinate clause. Since että (that) introduces a subordinate clause, a comma always comes right before it.
Does the word order change after että?
No, unlike in some other European languages, the word order in a Finnish että clause stays exactly the same as in a regular main clause. sinä olet sairas works the same on its own or after että.
The dictionary says epäillä means 'to doubt'. Why is it translated as 'suspect' here?
The verb epäillä can mean both 'to suspect' and 'to doubt'. You have to use context to figure out which one is meant. In this situation, 'we suspect that you are sick' makes the most logical sense.
Can we drop the pronouns me and sinä in this sentence?
Yes! Since the verb endings (-mme and -t) clearly show who the subjects are, it is very common and completely correct to simply say Epäilemme, että olet sairas. Keeping the pronouns just adds a little emphasis.
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