Breakdown of Voit haistaa, kun kala pilaantuu.
kala
fish
voida
can, to be able to
kun
when (conjunction)
pilaantua
to spoil
haistaa
to smell (perceive an odor)
Questions & Answers about Voit haistaa, kun kala pilaantuu.
The current lesson is about niin kauan kuin (as long as). Could we use it instead of kun in this sentence?
It would completely change the meaning. If you said Voit haistaa, niin kauan kuin kala pilaantuu, it would mean you have the ability to smell things for the entire duration the fish is going bad. Using kun (when) correctly expresses that the spoiling is the trigger for the smell.
Why do we use the verb pilaantuu here instead of pilaa?
Pilaantua is an automative verb, meaning something happens by itself. It translates to 'becomes ruined' or 'spoils'. If you used the basic transitive verb pilata (where pilaa comes from), it would mean the fish is actively ruining something else!
In English, we wouldn't use a comma before 'when' in this sentence. Why is there a comma before kun?
Finnish has stricter punctuation rules for clauses than English. You must almost always place a comma between a main clause (Voit haistaa) and a subordinate clause introduced by a conjunction like kun, että, or koska.
Can Voit haistaa be used as a general statement, like 'One can smell', or is it only addressing the listener directly?
It can definitely be used as a general statement. While traditional Finnish would often use a passive construction or a zero-person sentence for 'one can', modern Finnish frequently uses the generic second person. So Voit haistaa works perfectly for a general 'One can smell' or 'You can smell'.
Learn Voit haistaa, kun kala pilaantuu and more in Finnish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free