Questions & Answers about Minulla on kiire, mutta olen vain kahdeksas.
How do you form the word kahdeksas (eighth) from the number eight?
The basic number for eight is kahdeksan. To make it an ordinal number (eighth) in the nominative case, the final -n changes to -s, giving us kahdeksas.
Can I use kahdeksas to state my rank or position?
Yes! Ordinal numbers in the nominative case, like kahdeksas, are exactly what you use to state your position in a queue, a race, or a list.
Why does the sentence say Minulla on kiire to mean 'I am in a hurry'?
In English, you 'are' in a hurry, but in Finnish, you 'have' a hurry. The word kiire is a noun, so Finnish uses the possession structure Minulla on (On me is) to express this state, just like with hunger or thirst.
Why is there no word for 'I' before olen?
In Finnish, you can often drop the pronouns minä (I) and sinä (you). The verb ending in olen (the -n at the end) already makes it clear that the subject is 'I'.