Breakdown of Omena on syömäkelpoinen niin kauan kuin siinä ei ole hometta.
olla
to be
se
it / he / she (of a person) / that
ei
no / not (negative verb)
omena
apple
niin kauan kuin
as long as
syömäkelpoinen
edible
home
the mold
Questions & Answers about Omena on syömäkelpoinen niin kauan kuin siinä ei ole hometta.
Does niin kauan kuin require any special word order or verb mood?
No, it acts as a standard subordinating conjunction meaning "as long as" or "for the duration that". Both the main clause and the subordinate clause follow normal word order, and since this sentence states a general fact, the verb ole remains in the standard indicative mood.
How is the word syömäkelpoinen formed, and can I use this pattern with other verbs?
It is formed by combining syömä (the third infinitive root of syödä, to eat) with the adjective kelpoinen (fit, suitable, or valid). This is a highly productive pattern in Finnish to describe something that is fit for a certain action. For example, juoda (to drink) becomes juomakelpoinen (drinkable/potable).
The English translation says "no mold on it", so why does the Finnish sentence use siinä (in it) instead of sillä?
When talking about impurities, mold, rot, or other defects affecting food or objects, Finnish generally uses the inessive case (-ssa/-ssä, meaning "in"). Finnish treats the mold as being a characteristic inherent within the apple's current overall state, rather than an object merely sitting on its surface.
Why is the word for mold (home) in the partitive case (hometta) here?
The second half of the sentence (siinä ei ole hometta) is a negative existential sentence, meaning it states that something does not exist in a specific place. In Finnish, the subject of a negative existential sentence must always be put in the partitive case.
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