Breakdown of Meidän täytyy joustaa, vaikka aikataulu on tiukka.
olla
to be
me
we
täytyä
to have to
aikataulu
schedule
vaikka
although / even though
joustaa
to be flexible / to yield
tiukka
strict / tight
Questions & Answers about Meidän täytyy joustaa, vaikka aikataulu on tiukka.
Does using vaikka (even though) change the word order of the second clause?
No, it doesn't. In Finnish, subordinate conjunctions like vaikka simply connect the clauses without rearranging the words. The phrase aikataulu on tiukka remains in the exact same normal order as if it were a standalone sentence.
Why does the sentence start with meidän (our) instead of me (we)?
This is because of the verb täytyy (must). Täytyy is a necessity verb, and in Finnish grammar, the person who has to do something is put into the genitive case. Therefore, the basic pronoun me changes to its genitive form meidän.
Why isn't the verb joustaa (to be flexible) conjugated to match 'we', such as 'joustamme'?
Because it acts as the main action verb following the necessity verb täytyy. Whenever you use a necessity structure like this, the action verb always stays in its basic dictionary form (the infinitive).
Do I always need a comma before vaikka?
Yes! In Finnish, you generally must place a comma between a main clause and a subordinate clause. Since vaikka introduces a subordinate clause, a comma separating it from the main clause is strictly required.
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