Breakdown of Kunkin pelaajan tehtävä on muistaa, mikä valtti on jäljellä.
olla
to be
mikä
what
muistaa
to remember
tehtävä
task
kukin
each
pelaaja
player (of a game or sport)
valtti
trump
jäljellä
remaining
Questions & Answers about Kunkin pelaajan tehtävä on muistaa, mikä valtti on jäljellä.
Why is it kunkin instead of kukin here?
Kunkin is the genitive form of kukin (each). Because it tells whose task it is by modifying pelaajan (player's), it must match the genitive case of that noun. The unique thing about kukin is that the case ending is inserted into the middle of the word, right before the attached -kin particle, which is why ku- + -n- + -kin becomes kunkin.
Why does the Finnish sentence not start with a word for 'It'?
Finnish does not use dummy pronouns like 'it' in sentences like 'It is my task to...'. Instead, you simply start with the subject phrase Kunkin pelaajan tehtävä (Each player's task) followed directly by the verb on (is) and the action muistaa (to remember).
What exactly is the word jäljellä?
Jäljellä comes from the noun jälki (track, footprint or mark) in the adessive case (-llä). While its literal meaning is close to 'on the track', the phrase olla jäljellä is a very common fixed expression in Finnish meaning 'to be left' or 'to be remaining'.
Why does the sentence use mikä valtti in the nominative case instead of the partitive?
In the subordinate clause mikä valtti on jäljellä, the phrase mikä valtti (which trump) is the subject of the verb on. Because subjects of the verb 'to be' usually take the basic nominative case when they are single, countable things, both the question word and the noun stay in the nominative.
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