Breakdown of Hän lähtee, mikä muuttaa kaiken.
hän
he / she
lähteä
to leave
kaikki
all, everything, everyone
muuttaa
to change (something)
mikä
which (relative pronoun)
Questions & Answers about Hän lähtee, mikä muuttaa kaiken.
Why is mikä used here instead of joka for the word 'which'?
Normally, joka is used for 'which' or 'who' when referring back to a specific noun. But when 'which' refers back to an entire previous action or sentence (here, the whole idea that he leaves), you must use mikä.
Why is the word for 'everything' written as kaiken instead of its basic form kaikki?
It takes the -n ending because it is the direct object of the verb muuttaa (changes). When an action is seen as complete and affects a whole object, Finnish uses this ending to show it.
Doesn't the verb muuttaa usually mean 'to move'?
It means both! Muuttaa can mean 'to move' (like moving to a new home), but it also means 'to change' something. Note that if you want to say something changes all by itself, you use a slightly different verb: muuttua.
Could I use the verb jättää for 'leaves' in this sentence?
No, because Finnish has different words for leaving. Lähtee (from the verb lähteä) means to depart or go away. Jättää means to leave an object behind, like leaving your phone on the table.
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