Breakdown of Ostaisitko sen, jos lompakko olisi paksu?
olla
to be
se
it / he / she (of a person) / that
ostaa
to buy
lompakko
wallet
jos
if
paksu
thick
Questions & Answers about Ostaisitko sen, jos lompakko olisi paksu?
Why is the conditional marker -isi- used in the jos (if) clause as well?
In English, you typically do not use 'would' in the 'if' clause ('if your wallet were fat'). In Finnish, however, when describing a hypothetical situation, the conditional marker -isi- must appear in both the main clause (ostaisitko) and the jos clause (olisi).
Why does the sentence just say lompakko instead of sinun lompakkosi (your wallet)?
Finnish frequently drops possessive pronouns and suffixes when the owner is obvious. Because the first verb (ostaisitko) is in the second-person singular, it is already clear whose wallet is being discussed. Additionally, 'lompakko on paksu' functions as a general expression, making a possessive suffix feel clunky here.
Why is the object sen instead of the partitive sitä?
Ostaa (to buy) typically takes a total object because buying is a completed action where you acquire the entire item. Therefore, se takes the genitive-accusative form sen. If the verb expressed an ongoing or incomplete action, you would use the partitive sitä.
Is paksu lompakko a common idiom in Finnish?
Yes, just like in English, having a 'fat' or 'thick' wallet (paksu lompakko) is a widely understood colloquialism for having plenty of money.
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