Breakdown of Ongelmia voi ehkäistä, jos harrastaa liikuntaa ja syö vitamiineja.
ja
and
ongelma
problem
syödä
to eat
voida
can, to be able to
jos
if
harrastaa
to have as a hobby
ehkäistä
to prevent (e.g. a disease, problem)
liikunta
physical exercise
vitamiini
vitamin
Questions & Answers about Ongelmia voi ehkäistä, jos harrastaa liikuntaa ja syö vitamiineja.
Where is the subject in this sentence? The English translation uses "one".
This sentence uses the "zero-person" construction, which is the Finnish way of making general statements like "one can" or "you can". To do this, you simply use the verb in the third-person singular (here: voi, harrastaa, and syö) and leave the subject out entirely.
Since there is no subject, why doesn't the sentence just start with the verb voi?
If a zero-person sentence started directly with the verb, it would sound abrupt or look like a question. To anchor the sentence, Finnish usually puts something else in the first position, like a time, a place, or the object. Here, the object Ongelmia is placed at the front to give the sentence a natural starting point.
Why is the object Ongelmia in the partitive plural instead of the nominative plural (Ongelmat)?
The partitive plural is used because the problems are indefinite. You aren't preventing all the specific problems in the world (ongelmat), but rather an undefined amount of "some problems".
Why use harrastaa for exercising? Couldn't I just say tehdä liikuntaa?
The verb harrastaa specifically means to practice a hobby or do a regular leisure activity. While English uses "to do" or "to get" exercise, Finnish strongly prefers the phrase harrastaa liikuntaa to describe engaging in physical activity as a lifestyle habit.
Why does the sentence use syö vitamiineja (eats vitamins) instead of a verb for "take"?
In English you "take" medicine or supplements, but in Finnish you "eat" them! The verb syödä is the standard way to express taking pills, vitamins, or oral medication.
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