Huolto on tärkeä.

to be

Breakdown of Huolto on tärkeä.

• tärkeä: important
• huolto: the maintenance

Questions & Answers about Huolto on tärkeä.

What is the basic grammatical structure of the sentence "Huolto on tärkeä"?

In this sentence, huolto is a noun in the nominative case functioning as the subject, on is the third person singular form of the verb olla (to be) serving as the copula, and tärkeä is an adjective in the nominative singular that describes the subject.

What is the literal translation of "Huolto on tärkeä" into English?

Literally, the sentence translates to "Maintenance is important." (Note that huolto can sometimes mean "service" or "care" depending on context.)

Why doesn’t the sentence include any articles like "the" or "a"?

Finnish does not use articles. Definiteness or indefiniteness is inferred from context rather than indicated by specific words, which is why you won’t see words for "the" or "a" in Finnish sentences.

How does the adjective tärkeä agree with the noun huolto in this sentence?

Finnish adjectives must agree with the nouns they modify in both case and number. Since huolto is in the nominative singular, the adjective tärkeä also remains in the nominative singular form, ensuring proper grammatical agreement.

What role does the verb on play in the sentence?

On is the linking verb here—it is the third person singular present form of olla (to be). It connects the subject huolto with the predicate adjective tärkeä, essentially stating that maintenance (or service) has the quality of being important.

Can the word order in Finnish sentences like "Huolto on tärkeä" be changed, and how might that affect the meaning?

Yes, Finnish allows for a relatively flexible word order compared to English. The typical structure is subject–copula–predicate for clarity, but altering the order can place emphasis on a different part of the sentence or create a more poetic tone. However, changes in word order may also shift the focus or nuance of the sentence without altering its basic meaning.