Breakdown of Apurahan edellytyksenä on loistava menestys.
olla
to be
menestys
success
loistava
brilliant, splendid
apuraha
the grant / the scholarship
Questions & Answers about Apurahan edellytyksenä on loistava menestys.
Why is edellytys in the essive case (edellytyksenä) here rather than the nominative?
Using the essive case for roles, states, and conditions is highly idiomatic in formal Finnish. While you could technically say Apurahan edellytys on... (The prerequisite of the grant is...), the structure [Genitive] + edellytyksenä on... acts similarly to the advanced postpositions of basis you are studying. It establishes the condition first, translating literally as 'As a prerequisite for the grant is...'
Why does the sentence start with the condition (Apurahan edellytyksenä) instead of the subject (loistava menestys)?
This follows the typical Finnish pattern for existential or 'state' sentences. By putting the context or condition first, the sentence reserves the end position for the most important, new information: loistava menestys (brilliant success).
Is the word loistava an adjective or a verb?
It functions as an adjective here, but it is actually the present active participle (the -va / -vä form) of the verb loistaa (to shine). Using participles as adjectives is very common in Finnish; here it translates smoothly to 'brilliant' or 'superb'.
How can I remember the meaning of the word edellytys?