Breakdown of Nuo osapuolet ovat ne, jotka voivat ratkaista erimielisyyden.
olla
to be
nuo
those (over there)
ne
they / those (non-human) / they (of people)
voida
can, to be able to
joka
who / which (relative pronoun)
ratkaista
to solve (a problem, puzzle)
erimielisyys
disagreement
osapuoli
party (in a contract or dispute)
Questions & Answers about Nuo osapuolet ovat ne, jotka voivat ratkaista erimielisyyden.
Why does this sentence use ne, jotka instead of just saying Nuo osapuolet voivat ratkaista erimielisyyden?
This is a pseudo-cleft structure used for emphasis. While Nuo osapuolet voivat ratkaista... just means "Those parties can solve...", adding ovat ne, jotka translates to "are the ones who...". It puts exclusive focus on those specific parties, contrasting them with anyone else who might try to solve the disagreement.
Since the lesson talks about using the demonstrative se for this structure, why do we have ne here?
The demonstrative pronoun acts as a pivot in this focus structure and must agree in number with the noun it refers to. Because the subject Nuo osapuolet (Those parties) is plural, the singular se must become the plural ne.
Why is the relative pronoun jotka used here instead of mitkä?
Jotka is the plural form of joka. You must use joka (and its plural jotka) when referring back to a specific preceding noun or pronoun—in this case, the demonstrative ne. You would generally only use mikä or mitkä when referring to an entire preceding clause, a superlative, or an undefined pronoun like kaikki.
Why does the object erimielisyyden end in -n?
It is the total object of the verb ratkaista (to solve). Because the relative clause has a standard subject (jotka) and the main verb is in a normal personal form (voivat), a singular total object takes the genitive-like accusative ending -n.
How is the word erimielisyyden constructed?
It is built from eri (different) plus mieli (mind or opinion) plus -syys (a suffix that forms abstract nouns). Therefore, erimielisyys literally translates to "different-mindedness" or "disagreement". When adding the -n ending, the -syys stem changes to -syyde-, resulting in erimielisyyden.
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