Breakdown of Toisaalta tää on kyl tosi kallis.
tämä
this
olla
to be
kallis
expensive
tosi
really (intensifier)
Questions & Answers about Toisaalta tää on kyl tosi kallis.
What does toisaalta literally mean?
It means 'on the other hand.' It comes from the word toinen (other) in the ablative case (-lta), so literally it translates to 'from another.' You will often hear it used when weighing pros and cons.
Is tää the standard word for 'this'?
No, tää is the spoken language (puhekieli) version of tämä. In everyday speech, Finns almost exclusively use tää instead of tämä.
Why is the word kyl used here? Doesn't it mean 'yes'?
Kyl is the shortened spoken form of kyllä. While kyllä is the formal word for 'yes', in casual speech it is very often used as an emphasis word meaning 'definitely', 'surely', or 'indeed'. Here, it adds strong feeling to the statement.
Can I use todella instead of tosi in this sentence?
Yes! Todella is the standard written word for 'really'. However, since this sentence is highly conversational, tosi fits better. In everyday spoken Finnish, tosi (which literally means 'true') is much more common for expressing 'really' or 'very'.