Breakdown of Hän ei tule tänään, mikä on tietysti harmi.
olla
to be
hän
he / she
ei
no / not (en, et, ei, emme, ette, eivät)
tänään
today
tulla
to come
mikä
which (relative pronoun)
harmi
pity (shame, nuisance)
tietysti
of course
Questions & Answers about Hän ei tule tänään, mikä on tietysti harmi.
Why does this sentence use mikä instead of joka for "which"?
In Finnish, joka refers back to a specific noun right before it, but mikä refers to the entire previous sentence or clause. Here, "which is a pity" refers to the whole fact that he isn't coming, not just the word "today".
I know mikä as a question word meaning "what". Can it also connect sentences?
Yes! While it is a question word, it also acts as a relative pronoun meaning "which". You use it to connect clauses when referring to a whole preceding thought, a superlative, or a pronoun like kaikki (everything).
Is harmi an adjective meaning "harmful"?
No, harmi is actually a noun meaning "a pity", "a shame", or "an annoyance". It is very common in phrases like Se on harmi (It is a pity). It is a false friend for English speakers who might mix it up with the English word "harm".
Where does the word tietysti come from?
Tietysti is an adverb meaning "of course" or "naturally". It is built from the verb tietää (to know), so it carries the feeling of "as is known".
Learn Hän ei tule tänään, mikä on tietysti harmi and more in Finnish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free