Breakdown of Me luemme kirjaa, kunnes päivä vaihtuu.
kirja
book
me
we
lukea
to read
päivä
day
kunnes
until
vaihtua
to change (be exchanged or switched)
Questions & Answers about Me luemme kirjaa, kunnes päivä vaihtuu.
Why is there a comma before kunnes?
In Finnish, you must use a comma to separate the main clause (Me luemme kirjaa) from a subordinate clause. Since kunnes (until) starts a subordinate clause, a comma is required right before it, which is different from English punctuation rules.
Does kunnes change the word order of the clause that follows it?
No, it does not. Just like with conjunctions such as että or koska, the word order inside the kunnes clause remains standard: the subject (päivä) comes first, followed by the verb (vaihtuu).
Why is the book in the partitive case (kirjaa) instead of kirjan?
The partitive case here shows that the action of reading is ongoing. If we used the total object kirjan, it would mean we intend to finish reading the entire book by the time the day changes. Kirjaa simply implies we are spending that time doing the activity of reading.
Why does the sentence use vaihtuu instead of vaihtaa for the word changes?
Finnish makes a strict distinction between changing something and something changing on its own. Vaihtaa is a transitive verb meaning someone changes a thing (like changing your clothes). Vaihtua is an intransitive verb used when something changes by itself. Since the day transitions on its own, we use vaihtuu.
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