Word
Sääntö voi olla joustava, sikäli kuin tilanne ei vaadi ehdotonta rajaa.
Meaning
The rule can be flexible, insofar as the situation does not require a strict boundary.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of Sääntö voi olla joustava, sikäli kuin tilanne ei vaadi ehdotonta rajaa.
olla
to be
ei
no / not (en, et, ei, emme, ette, eivät)
sääntö
rule
voida
can, to be able to
Questions & Answers about Sääntö voi olla joustava, sikäli kuin tilanne ei vaadi ehdotonta rajaa.
What nuance does sikäli kuin add compared to just saying jos (if)?
Sikäli kuin translates to "insofar as" or "to the extent that." While jos sets a basic condition, sikäli kuin sets a limit based on degree. It tells us the rule's flexibility exists only up to the exact point where a strict boundary becomes necessary.
Why are the words ehdotonta rajaa in the partitive case?
They form the direct object of the verb vaadi (require). Because the verb phrase is negative (ei vaadi), the object must be in the partitive case. This is a strict rule in Finnish.
The word ehdotonta translates to "strict" here. How is this word formed?
The nominative form is ehdoton. It is built from the noun ehto (condition) and the privative suffix -ton (without). Literally, it means "unconditional" or "absolute", which translates smoothly to a "strict" boundary in English.
Is the word joustava an adjective or a verb form here?
It functions completely as an adjective meaning "flexible." However, it is originally the active present participle (the -va participle) of the verb joustaa (to yield, flex, or stretch). At this level, you will notice many -va participles that have become everyday adjectives.