Breakdown of Kaikki, mitä taikuri sanoo, on taikaa.
olla
to be
sanoa
to say
kaikki
all, everything, everyone
mikä
which (relative pronoun)
Questions & Answers about Kaikki, mitä taikuri sanoo, on taikaa.
Why does this sentence use mitä for "that" instead of joka?
Usually, joka is used for "that" or "which" when referring back to a specific noun. However, when you refer back to an indefinite pronoun like kaikki (everything) or jotakin (something), you must use a form of mikä. In this sentence, that form is mitä.
Why is the relative pronoun in the partitive case (mitä) rather than the basic form (mikä)?
The case of a relative pronoun depends on its grammatical job inside the relative clause. Here, it is the object of the verb sanoo (the magician says it). Because the thing being said is an indefinite amount ("everything"), the object takes the partitive case mitä.
Why is the word for magic (taika) in the partitive case (taikaa)?
If you look at the main clause without the interruption, it reads: Kaikki on taikaa (Everything is magic). Here, "magic" is describing the subject. Because magic is an abstract, uncountable concept, this descriptive word must be in the partitive case.
Are the commas around the mitä clause strictly necessary?
Yes! Unlike English, Finnish grammar requires you to clearly separate relative clauses with commas. The relative clause , mitä taikuri sanoo, sits right in the middle of the main clause, so it needs a comma at both its start and its end.