Breakdown of Lapsi, joka ei puhu mitään, on usein ujo.
olla
to be
ei
no / not (en, et, ei, emme, ette, eivät)
puhua
to speak
usein
often
lapsi
child
mikään
anything, nothing (with negation)
joka
who / which (relative pronoun)
ujo
shy
Questions & Answers about Lapsi, joka ei puhu mitään, on usein ujo.
How do we know that joka means "who" here, instead of "which" or "that"?
The relative pronoun joka can mean "who", "which", or "that" depending on the word it refers back to. Here, it points to lapsi (child), so it translates to "who". In Finnish, joka must match the number (singular or plural) of the noun it replaces. Since lapsi is singular, joka is also singular in this sentence.
Why are there commas around joka ei puhu mitään?
In Finnish, relative clauses (mini-sentences starting with words like joka) must always be separated from the main sentence with commas. The main sentence is Lapsi on usein ujo (The child is often shy), and the joka clause is inserted in the middle to describe the child.
Why is "anything" translated as mitään instead of mikään?
What is the subject for the verb on later in the sentence?
The subject for on is Lapsi at the very beginning of the sentence. Because the relative clause (joka ei puhu mitään) interrupts the main sentence, the subject and its verb are separated. If you remove the relative clause, you get the basic sentence: Lapsi on usein ujo (The child is often shy).
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