Kaupunki oli todella vilkas ja meluisa.

to be

Breakdown of Kaupunki oli todella vilkas ja meluisa.

• ja: and
• todella: really
• kaupunki: the city
• vilkas: lively
• meluisa: noisy

Questions & Answers about Kaupunki oli todella vilkas ja meluisa.

What does “kaupunki” mean in this sentence?

Kaupunki translates to “city”. It is the subject of the sentence.

What is the role of “oli” in this sentence?

Oli is the simple past (imperfect) form of the verb “olla”, which means “to be.” In the sentence, it functions as the linking verb equivalent to “was.”

How does “todella” function in this sentence?

Todella is an adverb meaning “really.” It intensifies the adjective “vilkas” and indicates that the level of liveness or activity in the city is high.

What do the adjectives “vilkas” and “meluisa” mean, and how do they describe the city?

Vilkas translates to “lively” or “bustling,” while meluisa means “noisy.” These predicate adjectives, following the linking verb, describe the qualities of the city as being full of life and sound.

Why are the adjectives “vilkas” and “meluisa” used in their basic (nominative) form without any case endings?

In Finnish, when adjectives are used as predicate adjectives following a linking verb (like “oli”), they generally remain in the nominative form to agree with the subject—in this case, “kaupunki.” This is a common structure in Finnish when describing the subject.