Learn Finnish: Tämä voimala on niin tehokas kuin päästötönkin. - This power plant is both efficient and emission-free.

Tämä voimala on niin tehokas kuin päästötönkin.

This power plant is both efficient and emission-free.

Breakdown of Tämä voimala on niin tehokas kuin päästötönkin.

than / like / as (also in "before …")

tehokas

powerful / efficient

Questions & Answers about Tämä voimala on niin tehokas kuin päästötönkin.

How exactly does the niin ... kuin ... -kin structure work in this sentence?

It acts as a formal way to say 'both... and...'. The word niin is placed before the first trait (tehokas), and kuin is placed before the second trait (päästötön). Crucially, the clitic -kin must be attached to the very end of the second item to complete the pairing.

What happens if I drop the -kin and just say niin tehokas kuin päästötön?

The meaning changes completely! Without the -kin, the phrase becomes a regular comparison meaning 'as efficient as it is emission-free'. The -kin is what transforms the comparison into the inclusive 'both... and...' structure taught in this lesson.

How does this differ from using sekä tehokas että päästötön?

They mean the exact same thing ('both efficient and emission-free'). The niin ... kuin ... -kin structure is simply a bit more formal and literary. Remember not to mix them up: never use the -kin clitic when using the sekä ... että structure.

Let's look at the word päästötönkin. How is this built?

It consists of three parts. The root is the noun päästö (emission). The suffix -tön means 'without' or '-free', creating the adjective päästötön (emission-free). Finally, the clitic -kin is added to satisfy the grammar of the niin ... kuin ... -kin structure.