Breakdown of Uusi sairaala on vasta suunnitteilla, ei rakenteilla.
olla
to be
uusi
new
ei
no / not (negative verb)
sairaala
the hospital
vasta
not until, only just
suunnitteilla
in the planning stage
rakenteilla
under construction
Questions & Answers about Uusi sairaala on vasta suunnitteilla, ei rakenteilla.
The lesson mentions these process words often take a possessive suffix. Why don't suunnitteilla and rakenteilla have one here?
A possessive suffix (like the -ään in meneillään) typically refers back to the subject performing the action. Here, the subject (uusi sairaala) is the target of the planning and building, not the actor doing it. When describing a passive, ongoing state like this, these words just use the plural adessive ending (-lla) without any possessive suffix.
How exactly are the words suunnitteilla and rakenteilla formed from their base verbs?
They derive from the verbs suunnitella (to plan) and rakentaa (to build). They are turned into noun stems denoting a process or product, to which the plural marker -i- and the adessive case -lla are attached. Literally, the structures translate to something like 'on the plannings' and 'on the constructions'.
Could I use vain instead of vasta to mean 'only' in this sentence?
You could, but it completely changes the nuance. Vasta refers to 'only' in terms of time or progression (meaning 'only so far' or 'only just'), which implies the hospital will be built eventually. If you used vain, it would mean it is merely a plan, implying the actual construction might never happen.
Why is the second part just ei rakenteilla instead of a full clause like eikä ole rakenteilla?
When making a direct contrast to something just stated, Finnish often lets you drop the repeated verb (here, olla) for a punchier, more natural flow. You simply use the negation verb ei followed by the contrasting state. Eikä ole rakenteilla (and is not under construction) would also be grammatically correct, but slightly heavier.
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