Kompassi on pöydällä, kun me olemme satamassa.
The compass is on the table when we are in the harbor.
Breakdown of Kompassi on pöydällä, kun me olemme satamassa.
olla
to be
me
we
pöytä
table
kun
when (conjunction)
Questions & Answers about Kompassi on pöydällä, kun me olemme satamassa.
Does the word kun change the word order of the second part of the sentence?
No, the word order in the subordinate clause (me olemme satamassa) stays exactly the same as it would in a normal, independent sentence. You just follow the standard subject-verb-location pattern.
Why is there a comma before kun?
In Finnish, you must use a comma to separate the main clause (Kompassi on pöydällä) from a subordinate clause starting with kun (when). This is a strict punctuation rule in Finnish, whereas English usually leaves the comma out in this exact structure.
Why do table and harbor use different location endings (pöydällä vs. satamassa)?
Finnish uses different location endings depending on the type of place. Pöytä (table) gets the -llä ending because the compass is resting on top of an open surface. Satama (harbor) gets the -ssa ending because you are thought of as being inside the enclosed harbor area.
Could I leave out the word me and just say kun olemme satamassa?
Yes, you absolutely can. Because the verb olemme already has the personal ending -mme indicating we, the pronoun me is optional. Including it just adds a little extra emphasis to the fact that we are the ones in the harbor.