Learn Finnish: Arvostelija sanoi, että suoritus ei ollut ammattimainen, vaan teatterimainen. - The critic said that the performance was not professional, but rather theatrical.

Arvostelija sanoi, että suoritus ei ollut ammattimainen, vaan teatterimainen.

The critic said that the performance was not professional, but rather theatrical.

Breakdown of Arvostelija sanoi, että suoritus ei ollut ammattimainen, vaan teatterimainen.

olla

to be

no / not (en, et, ei, emme, ette, eivät)

Questions & Answers about Arvostelija sanoi, että suoritus ei ollut ammattimainen, vaan teatterimainen.

How does the suffix -mainen change the meanings of ammatti and teatteri here?

The suffix -mainen (or -mäinen depending on vowel harmony) attaches to a noun to create an adjective meaning "like that noun" or "having the characteristics of that noun". Here, ammatti (profession) becomes ammattimainen (professional-like, professional), and teatteri (theater) becomes teatterimainen (theater-like, theatrical).

What is the difference between ammattimainen and ammattilainen?

Ammattilainen is a noun meaning "a professional" (a person who does something for a living). Ammattimainen, used in this sentence, is an adjective describing the quality of the performance. It means the performance had the characteristics of a professional's work, whether or not the actor actually was one.

Why is the word vaan used here instead of mutta for "but"?

We use vaan because it follows a negative statement (ei ollut...) and corrects it with a direct alternative. While mutta simply adds contrasting information (meaning "but"), vaan specifically means "but rather" or "instead" after a negation.

Both arvostelija and suoritus are derived from verbs. How are they formed?