Breakdown of Selitin tarkasti, missä vika on.
olla
to be
missä
where
tarkasti
carefully (closely, attentively)
selittää
to explain
vika
fault
Questions & Answers about Selitin tarkasti, missä vika on.
Why is there a comma before missä?
In Finnish, you must use a comma to separate a main clause from a subordinate clause, which includes indirect questions. Even though we don't use a comma here in English, Finnish requires it to separate the main action (Selitin tarkasti) from the indirect question (missä vika on).
Does the word order change in the indirect question missä vika on?
No, the word order in a Finnish indirect question is usually exactly the same as in a direct question (Missä vika on?). Unlike English, where the verb shifts position ("Where is the fault?" vs. "...where the fault is"), Finnish simply keeps the question word first and follows it with the normal question word order.
What is the dictionary form of selitin and why does it have only one t?
The dictionary form is selittää (to explain). When you conjugate it for the "I" form (like the present tense selitän or past tense selitin), it undergoes consonant gradation. The strong double tt weakens to a single t because the personal ending closes the syllable. The i before the n shows that this is in the past tense.
How is the word tarkasti formed?
It is an adverb meaning "carefully" or "exactly", and it is built from the adjective tarkka (exact or precise). Just like adding "-ly" in English, you can turn a Finnish adjective into an adverb by adding the ending -sti to its stem.
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