Aloittelija tarvitsee apua.

The beginner needs help.

Breakdown of Aloittelija tarvitsee apua.

• tarvita: to need
• apu: the help
• aloittelija: the beginner

Questions & Answers about Aloittelija tarvitsee apua.

What does each word do in Aloittelija tarvitsee apua?

This is a very typical Finnish sentence structure:

• aloittelija = the subject: the beginner
• tarvitsee = the verb: needs
• apua = the object: help

So the structure is basically:

• Subject + verb + object

That makes this a very neutral, standard Finnish word order.

Why is it apua and not apu?

Because apu is in the partitive singular here: apua.

The verb tarvita usually takes its object in the partitive, so:

• apu = help
• apua = help, in the partitive form

So after tarvitsee, apua is the expected form.

Does the partitive in apua mean some help?