Minulla on uusi pyörä, jolla voin ajaa puistoon.

I have a new bicycle with which I can ride to the park.

Breakdown of Minulla on uusi pyörä, jolla voin ajaa puistoon.

• minä: I
• uusi: new
• puisto: the park
• pyörä: the bicycle
• jolla: with which
• voida: to be able
• ajaa: to ride

Questions & Answers about Minulla on uusi pyörä, jolla voin ajaa puistoon.

What does minulla mean, and why is it used instead of minä in this sentence?

Minulla is the adessive case form of minä (I) and literally means "at me." In Finnish, possession isn’t expressed with a separate verb for “have” like in English; instead, the possessor is placed in the adessive case and combined with on (is/are) to form a possession construction. So, minulla on translates to "I have" (or literally, "at me there is").

How does the structure minulla on work in expressing possession?

In Finnish, possession is typically expressed by putting the possessor in the adessive case (here, minulla meaning "at me") followed by the verb on (meaning "is/are") and then the possessed object. This differs from the typical English subject–verb–object order and directly translates to "at me is a new bicycle."

What does uusi mean, and what role does it play in the sentence?

Uusi is an adjective meaning "new." It directly modifies pyörä, helping to describe the specific bicycle that the speaker possesses. In this context, it tells us that the bicycle is new.

What does pyörä refer to in the sentence?

Pyörä translates to "bicycle." It is the object that the speaker possesses, and it is further described by the relative clause that follows.

How is jolla functioning in this sentence, and what does it mean?

Jolla is a relative pronoun meaning "with which." It introduces a relative clause that provides more information about pyörä. Essentially, it connects the main clause to the subordinate clause, explaining that the bicycle is what the speaker uses to ride to the park.

What does voin ajaa mean, and why are these forms chosen?

Voin ajaa breaks down into voin, the first-person singular of voida meaning "can" or "to be able to," and ajaa, which means "to ride" or "to drive." Together, they translate to "I can ride." This form is used to express the speaker’s ability to ride the bicycle.

Why is puistoon used, and what does its case indicate?

Puistoon means "to the park." It is in the illative case, which is used in Finnish to denote movement toward a destination. In this sentence, it specifies where the speaker can ride the bicycle.