Questions & Answers about Opinto-ohjaaja kysyy, mikä sinun päämääräsi on.
What is the literal makeup of the word päämäärä?
It translates to "goal" or "objective", but literally it is a compound of pää (head, main, or end) and määrä (amount, destination). It implies an end-point you are striving toward, which gives helpful context for the goal-oriented verbs like pyrkiä (to strive) that you are practicing in this lesson.
Why is there a comma before mikä? English doesn't use one there.
In standard Finnish, you must use a comma to separate a main clause (Opinto-ohjaaja kysyy) from a subordinate clause. This strict comma rule applies to indirect questions starting with a question word like mikä, kuka, or miten.
Why is the verb on at the very end of the sentence?
In an indirect question like mikä sinun päämääräsi on, Finnish usually places the verb at the end of the subordinate clause. This contrasts with a direct question (Mikä on sinun päämääräsi?), where the verb typically jumps closer to the question word.
Do I have to use both the pronoun sinun and the possessive suffix -si in päämääräsi?
In standard written Finnish, the possessive suffix -si is strictly required, though you are allowed to drop the pronoun sinun and just write mikä päämääräsi on. In everyday spoken Finnish, however, the pattern reverses: people usually keep the pronoun and drop the suffix, saying mikä sun päämäärä on.