Kun olin lapsi, poika, joka asui täällä, oli ujo.
When I was a child, the boy who lived here was shy.
Breakdown of Kun olin lapsi, poika, joka asui täällä, oli ujo.
olla
to be
täällä
here
poika
boy
asua
to live
lapsi
child
kun
when (conjunction)
joka
who / which (relative pronoun)
ujo
shy
Questions & Answers about Kun olin lapsi, poika, joka asui täällä, oli ujo.
Why do we use joka here, and what does it refer to?
The word joka means "who" or "which" and introduces a relative clause. It always refers to the word immediately before it, which in this case is poika (boy). Because the boy is the subject of the clause (he is the one who lived), joka is in its basic nominative form.
Why are there commas around joka asui täällä?
In Finnish, you must always put a comma before a relative pronoun like joka. Because this relative clause is inserted right in the middle of the main sentence (between poika and oli), you also need a comma at the end of the clause after täällä to resume the main sentence.
Why is the word for "here" täällä and not tässä?
Both words mean "here," but täällä refers to a larger, more general area (like a neighborhood, town, or house). This is the natural choice when talking about where someone lived. tässä is used for a very specific, narrow spot.
Why doesn't the sentence say minä olin lapsi for "I was a child"?
In Finnish, the personal pronoun for "I" (minä) or "you" (sinä) can often be dropped. The -n ending on the past tense verb olin already clearly tells us that the subject is "I", making the word minä unnecessary.
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