Breakdown of Portti, joka on uusi, sulkeutuu hiljaa.
olla
to be
uusi
new
hiljaa
quietly
joka
who / which (relative pronoun)
portti
gate
sulkeutua
to close (intransitive)
Questions & Answers about Portti, joka on uusi, sulkeutuu hiljaa.
Why does the verb "closes" translate to sulkeutuu here instead of sulkee?
The basic verb sulkea means "to close something" (for example, a person closing a door). By adding the suffix -utua, we get the automative verb sulkeutua, which means something closes itself without a specific outside force acting upon it. Since the gate is closing on its own, we use sulkeutuu.
Could I use mikä instead of joka to mean "which"?
In standard written Finnish, you must use joka here. joka is used when "which" refers to a specific preceding noun (like portti). The word mikä is used when referring to a whole preceding sentence, a superlative, or a pronoun like kaikki (everything). However, in casual spoken Finnish, you will often hear people use mikä for both.
Why do we use hiljaa for "quietly" instead of hiljaisesti?
Both mean "quietly", but hiljaa is a very common, fixed adverb form that is almost always used in everyday Finnish for things happening softly or silently. hiljaisesti (built normally from the adjective hiljainen) is grammatically correct but sounds much more formal or literary.
Are the commas around joka on uusi strictly necessary?
Yes! Unlike English, where comma rules for "which" depend on whether the information is essential or extra, Finnish grammar strictly requires commas around any relative clause. The clause joka on uusi must be physically separated from the main sentence Portti sulkeutuu hiljaa by commas.
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