Breakdown of On vaikea keskittyä, jos joku meluaa.
olla
to be
vaikea
difficult / hard
joku
somebody, someone
jos
if
meluta
to make noise
keskittyä
to concentrate
Questions & Answers about On vaikea keskittyä, jos joku meluaa.
There is no negative imperative in this sentence! How would I use the verb here to tell someone 'Don't make noise!'?
The verb for 'makes noise' is meluaa, from the infinitive meluta (a type 4 verb). To form the negative imperative, use älä plus the connegative stem. For type 4 verbs, you drop the -ta or -tä from the infinitive to get the stem. So, 'Don't make noise!' is Älä melua!
How would I say 'Don't concentrate!' using the negative imperative from this lesson?
Keskittyä (to concentrate) is a type 1 verb. To get the connegative stem for type 1 verbs, find the 'I' form (minä keskityn) and drop the -n. Notice how the strong double tt weakens to a single t. Add älä in front, and you get Älä keskity!
Why does the sentence start with just On vaikea? Why not Se on vaikea for 'It is difficult'?
In Finnish, when stating a general condition, rule, or feeling (like 'It is cold' or 'It is difficult'), you usually omit the word for 'it' (se) and just start with the verb on. Using se here would sound like you are pointing at a specific physical object that is difficult.
I always mix up joku and jokin. Why is it joku here?
Joku means 'someone' or 'somebody' and is used for people. Jokin means 'something' and is used for things or animals. Since we are talking about a person making noise in this context, joku is the correct choice here.
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