Breakdown of Emme tarvitse tarjoilua, jos puhujat lähtevät kohta.
ei
no / not (negative verb)
lähteä
to leave
tarvita
to need
kohta
soon
jos
if
puhuja
speaker
tarjoilu
catering
Questions & Answers about Emme tarvitse tarjoilua, jos puhujat lähtevät kohta.
Does the word order change inside the jos (if) clause?
No. Unlike some other languages, Finnish word order in a jos clause usually stays exactly the same as in a normal independent sentence. It simply goes subject (puhujat) + verb (lähtevät) + adverb (kohta).
Why is tarjoilua in the partitive case?
Because the main sentence is negative (Emme tarvitse). In Finnish, the object of a negative sentence is always in the partitive case. The base word is tarjoilu (catering), and adding -a makes it partitive.
Why doesn't the verb tarvitse have a personal ending here?
Because it is part of a negative verb structure. The negative word emme (we do not) already shows who is doing the action. The main verb tarvita (to need) is a type 5 verb, and its negative stem is tarvitse.
How is the word puhujat formed?
It comes from the verb puhua (to speak). By adding the suffix -ja, you get the person doing the action: puhuja (speaker). The -t at the end simply makes it a plural nominative.
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