Breakdown of Ole kärsivällinen, kunnes haava on puhdas.
olla
to be
puhdas
clean
kunnes
until
kärsivällinen
patient
Questions & Answers about Ole kärsivällinen, kunnes haava on puhdas.
Why is there a comma before kunnes?
In Finnish, subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions like kunnes (until) must be separated from the main clause by a comma. Because kunnes haava on puhdas is a full clause with its own subject and verb, the comma is strictly required.
Can I use asti or saakka instead of kunnes to say 'until' here?
Asti and saakka are postpositions that attach to noun phrases (like iltaan asti, until evening). Kunnes is a conjunction used to connect two full clauses. Because haava on puhdas is a complete thought with its own verb, you must use kunnes.
Why is kärsivällinen in the nominative case here?
In sentences with the verb olla (to be), the adjective describing the subject takes the nominative case when referring to a complete, individual person or thing. Even though this is an imperative command (Ole), you are addressing one person, so the adjective stays in its basic nominative form.
Where does the word kärsivällinen (patient) come from?
It is built from the verb kärsiä (to suffer or endure). The ending -llinen is a common suffix used to create adjectives meaning 'having the quality of something'. So someone who is kärsivällinen literally has the quality of enduring things well.