Breakdown of Katu hiljentyy, kunnes lamppu sammuu.
katu
street
lamppu
lamp
kunnes
until
sammua
to go out
hiljentyä
to quiet down
Questions & Answers about Katu hiljentyy, kunnes lamppu sammuu.
Why is there a comma before kunnes?
In Finnish, you must use a comma to separate a main clause from a subordinate clause. Since kunnes (until) starts a subordinate clause, a comma is always required right before it. This is different from English, where we usually do not put a comma before the word 'until'.
The word hiljentyy looks like the word for quiet. How are they related?
Hiljentyy comes from the verb hiljentyä (to quiet down). It is built from the adjective hiljainen (quiet). The ending -ntyä often shows that a subject is changing into a new state by itself. Here, it shows the street is naturally becoming quiet over time.
Why use sammuu instead of sammuttaa?
Sammua (goes out) is used when a fire, machine, or light turns off on its own. Sammuttaa means someone is actively turning it off. Because the lamp is the subject and is going out by itself without a person acting on it, sammuu is the correct choice.
Can this present-tense sentence be used to talk about the future?
Yes! Finnish does not have a separate future tense. Even if you are talking about something that will happen later tonight (The street will quiet down...), both the main clause and the kunnes clause use the present tense verbs hiljentyy and sammuu.
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