Breakdown of Otan osaa, tämä on surullinen päivä.
tämä
this
olla
to be
päivä
day
surullinen
sad
otan osaa
my condolences
Questions & Answers about Otan osaa, tämä on surullinen päivä.
Literally, what does otan osaa mean?
It translates word-for-word as "I take part." By saying this, you are symbolically taking a part of the other person's grief to help them carry the burden.
Why is the word osa in the partitive case (osaa)?
It is in the partitive because you are taking "some part" or an unspecified amount of the sorrow, not the whole thing. The verb ottaa (to take) takes a partitive object here because the action refers to an indefinite quantity.
Is otan osaa appropriate to say if a friend loses their job or fails an exam?
No, this phrase is very strong and is almost exclusively reserved for funerals, deaths, or major tragedies. Using it for everyday bad news sounds awkwardly dramatic. For a job loss, you would instead say olen pahoillani (I am sorry).
How does the word surullinen break down grammatically?
It is built from the noun suru (sorrow, grief) plus the adjective-forming suffix -llinen (having the quality of). So, surullinen quite literally means "sorrowful."
Learn Otan osaa, tämä on surullinen päivä and more in Finnish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free