Minä odotan pitkään.

I wait for a long time.

Breakdown of Minä odotan pitkään.

• minä: I
• pitkä: long
• odottaa: to wait

Questions & Answers about Minä odotan pitkään.

Why is the subject pronoun Minä used even though Finnish verbs indicate the subject through their endings?

Finnish verbs carry person information, so the subject pronoun is often omitted. However, including Minä can add clarity or emphasis. It explicitly states “I” as the subject, which can be helpful for beginners or when stressing who is performing the action.

What does the verb odotan mean, and how is it formed?

Odotan is the first person singular present tense form of the verb odottaa, which means “to wait.” The ending -an shows that the subject is I (minä), making odotan translate directly to “I wait.”

What role does pitkään play in the sentence, and how is it derived?

Pitkään functions as an adverb specifying the duration of the waiting—it means “for a long time.” It is derived from the adjective pitkä (“long”) and is inflected to express an adverbial meaning describing the manner or length of the waiting.

Why is pitkään positioned at the end of the sentence?

Finnish word order is fairly flexible, but it’s common to place adverbs, particularly those indicating time or duration, at the end of the sentence. This positioning emphasizes the temporal aspect of the action, clarifying that the waiting lasts a long time.

Is it necessary to include the subject Minä in every sentence, or can it be omitted?

It is not strictly necessary to include Minä because the verb form odotan already indicates the subject. Finnish speakers often omit the subject when context makes it clear who is acting. Including it, however, can provide additional emphasis or clarity when needed.