Tarjoilija toi meille ruokalistan heti, kun istuimme alas.

The waiter brought us the menu right when we sat down.

Breakdown of Tarjoilija toi meille ruokalistan heti, kun istuimme alas.

• kun: when
• tarjoilija: the waiter
• tuoda: to bring
• ruokalista: the menu
• heti: right
• istua alas: to sit down

Questions & Answers about Tarjoilija toi meille ruokalistan heti, kun istuimme alas.

What does the tarjoilija mean in English?

Tarjoilija translates to waiter (or server) in English. Note that Finnish does not distinguish between masculine and feminine forms for such roles.

Why is ruokalistan used instead of ruokalista in this sentence?

Ruokalistan is the accusative form of ruokalista (meaning menu) that marks it as a definite object. In Finnish, when a specific, known item is the object of a past-tense verb, the accusative often appears with a -n ending (which looks like the genitive form), indicating its definiteness.

What case is meille and why is it used here?

Meille is in the allative case, serving a similar purpose to the dative in other languages. It indicates the recipient of the action, meaning to us. Finnish uses this case to show for whom or to whom something is done.

What does the phrase istuimme alas mean, and why is alas included?

Istuimme alas literally translates to we sat down. The verb istuimme means we sat, and the adverb alas (meaning down) adds the nuance of completing the act of sitting. It is a common idiomatic expression in Finnish to indicate that the act of sitting was fully completed.

What is the role of kun in the sentence?

Kun is a subordinating conjunction meaning when. It introduces the subordinate clause kun istuimme alas, providing a time reference that clarifies that the menu was brought immediately once we sat down.

What tense is the verb toi and what is its base form?

Toi is the past tense form of the verb tuoda, which means to bring. It is conjugated here in the singular form to agree with the subject tarjoilija.