Breakdown of Me emme ohjaa, kun kapteeni nukkuu.
me
we
ei
no / not (en, et, ei, emme, ette, eivät)
nukkua
to sleep
kun
when (conjunction)
kapteeni
captain
ohjata
to steer
Questions & Answers about Me emme ohjaa, kun kapteeni nukkuu.
Why is there a comma before kun?
In Finnish, you must use a comma to separate a main clause from a subordinate clause. Because kun (when) introduces a subordinate temporal clause, a comma is required right before it.
Why is the verb ohjaa instead of ohjaamme if the subject is Me (we)?
Because this is a negative sentence. In Finnish, the negative verb (emme) shows who is doing the action, while the main verb drops its personal ending. That leaves us with the base negative form, which is ohjaa.
What is the dictionary form of the verb ohjaa?
The dictionary form is ohjata (to steer or direct). It is a verb type 4 word, which means it ends in -ata. To find the negative form, you simply drop the -ta from the dictionary form, which gives you ohjaa.
Does nukkuu mean "sleeps" or "is sleeping"?
It can mean both! Finnish does not have a separate continuous tense like English. Kapteeni nukkuu translates to either "the captain sleeps" or "the captain is sleeping," depending on the context.
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