Breakdown of Kun ostaa vitamiineja, kannattaa valita sokeriton vaihtoehto.
ostaa
to buy
valita
to choose
kun
when (conjunction)
vaihtoehto
alternative
Questions & Answers about Kun ostaa vitamiineja, kannattaa valita sokeriton vaihtoehto.
Where is the subject in the first clause, Kun ostaa vitamiineja?
There isn't one! This is the zero-person construction. By using the third-person singular verb ostaa without a subject, it translates to a general 'when one buys' or 'when you buy' in English.
Why is the object sokeriton vaihtoehto in the nominative form rather than the genitive-like accusative (sokerittoman vaihtoehdon)?
This is a major rule in Finnish: when a clause has no grammatical subject, like the impersonal kannattaa structure here, a total object must be in the basic nominative form. If you added a subject like 'Sinun kannattaa...' (You should...), the object would change to sokerittoman vaihtoehdon.
Does the verb kannattaa belong to the zero-person construction too?
Kannattaa is an impersonal verb meaning 'it is worthwhile' or 'one should'. It always takes the third-person singular form. It pairs naturally with the zero-person construction in the first clause to give general, universally applicable advice.
How does the word sokeriton mean 'sugar-free'?
It is formed by adding the suffix -ton to the noun sokeri (sugar). The -ton or -tön suffix means 'without' and works just like '-less' or '-free' in English.