Kissa on vanha.

to be

Breakdown of Kissa on vanha.

• kissa: the cat
• vanha: old

Questions & Answers about Kissa on vanha.

Why is there no word for “the” or “a” in “Kissa on vanha”?

Finnish does not have articles like English does. So instead of saying “the cat” or “a cat,” you simply say kissa. The context helps you understand if it’s a specific cat or just any cat.

What is the role of the word “on” here?

On is the present-tense form of olla (the verb to be). In Kissa on vanha, it translates directly to “is.”

Why does “vanha” (old) come after “on”?

In Finnish, adjectives describing the subject usually follow the verb olla. So the typical order is Subject – Verb – Adjective/Complement, as in Kissa on vanha.

Could I say “Kissa vanha on” instead?

That would sound unusual in modern Finnish. Standard word order in statements is Subject – Verb – Adjective/Complement, so Kissa on vanha is the natural way to say it.

How would I make this sentence plural if I’m talking about more than one cat?

You would pluralize the subject and possibly the adjective: Kissat ovat vanhoja. Notice that kissat is the plural form of kissa, ovat is the plural form of on, and vanhoja is the partitive plural of vanha.

How do I form a question from “Kissa on vanha”?

You add a question marker and adjust the intonation. A direct yes/no question is: Onko kissa vanha? (Is the cat old?) Notice how on changes to onko to form the question.