Minä olen todella vanha.

I

Breakdown of Minä olen todella vanha.

• olla: to be
• vanha: old
• todella: really

Questions & Answers about Minä olen todella vanha.

Why is "Minä" often included even though Finnish can drop subject pronouns?

While Finnish typically allows dropping the subject pronoun (because the verb ending indicates who is doing the action), sometimes people include Minä ("I") for emphasis or clarity. In everyday conversation, both Minä olen todella vanha and Olen todella vanha would be understood.

What does "todella" emphasize in this sentence?

Todella means "really" or "truly," and it intensifies the adjective following it. Here, it emphasizes how old the speaker is, making the statement stronger than simply saying "Minä olen vanha" ("I am old").

Are there alternative words to "todella" that convey a similar meaning?

Yes, you could use erittäin ("very"), tosi (colloquial for "really"), or kovin ("very") in similar contexts. For example, "Minä olen tosi vanha" or "Minä olen erittäin vanha" would also work, although each might carry a slightly different nuance.

Why is "olen" used instead of "olenko" or "olit"?

Olen is the present tense, first-person singular form of the verb olla ("to be"). You would use olenko to form a question ("Am I?") or olit for past tense second-person singular ("you were"). In the given statement, the speaker is simply using the present tense "I am," so olen is correct.

Does Finnish require any agreement between "Minä" and the adjective "vanha"?

No. Adjectives in this kind of sentence do not have to agree in number or case with the subject pronoun. Instead, they stay in their basic form when describing the subject’s state of being, as with vanha ("old") in "Minä olen todella vanha."