Pöytä on matala.

to be

Breakdown of Pöytä on matala.

• pöytä: the table
• matala: low

Questions & Answers about Pöytä on matala.

Why does the sentence lack a definite article before pöytä, unlike English where we say "the table is low"?

Finnish does not use articles such as "the" or "a". The noun pöytä simply means "table", and context—rather than an article—indicates whether it’s definite or indefinite.

What is the function of the word on in this sentence?

On is the third person singular present form of the verb olla, meaning "to be." It functions as a linking verb (copula), connecting the subject pöytä with the predicate adjective matala.

Why is the adjective matala in its basic (nominative) form even though it describes pöytä?

In predicative constructions like this one, adjectives remain in the base form. While attributive adjectives in Finnish agree with the noun in case and number, predicate adjectives used after a linking verb like on do not require additional inflection.

How does the word order in Pöytä on matala compare to that of a typical English sentence?

The sentence follows a Subject–Verb–Predicate pattern, similar to English ("The table is low"). Although Finnish word order is generally flexible because of its rich inflectional system, simple statements like this one stick to a familiar order.

Can the adjective matala have different nuances in other contexts?

Yes. While matala usually means "low" in terms of height (as with a table), it can also describe other characteristics—such as shallow or not high—in different contexts. The exact nuance is determined by the subject and overall context of the sentence.