Breakdown of Tämä pykälä on sitova, kunhan hyväksymme sen.
tämä
this
olla
to be
se
it / he / she (of a person) / that
hyväksyä
to accept
sitova
binding
kunhan
provided that
pykälä
the clause
Questions & Answers about Tämä pykälä on sitova, kunhan hyväksymme sen.
How does the word kunhan change the meaning compared to just using jos (if) or kun (when)?
While jos introduces a basic condition and kun deals with time, kunhan combines both into a strict prerequisite. It means "provided that" or "as long as". The enclitic particle -han attaches to kun to emphasize that the main clause (the clause being binding) relies entirely on this one specific expectation being met.
Is sitova an adjective or a verb here?
It functions as an adjective, but it is formed from the verb sitoa (to bind or tie). This is the present active participle, formed by adding the -va suffix to the verb's strong vowel stem. It describes what the noun is currently doing, translating smoothly to "binding".
Why is the object sen used here instead of the partitive sitä?
The verb hyväksyä (to accept) usually takes a total object when an action is seen as complete and final. Because we are talking about accepting the specific clause in its entirety, the object takes the genitive-looking accusative form sen. If the acceptance were an ongoing process, you would use the partitive sitä.
Why doesn't the verb hyväksymme take the conditional marker -isi- if this is a conditional sentence?
kunhan establishes the condition itself, so the verb usually stays in the simple present tense (indicative mood) if the condition is realistic and expected to happen. You would only use the conditional mood (hyväksyisimme) if the scenario was purely hypothetical or unlikely, translating closer to "This clause would be binding, provided that we accepted it".
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