Minä osaan puhua suomea.

I can speak Finnish.

Breakdown of Minä osaan puhua suomea.

• minä: I
• puhua: to speak
• suomi: Finnish
• osata: to be able

Questions & Answers about Minä osaan puhua suomea.

What does the verb osaan indicate in this sentence?

osaan is the first person singular form of the verb osata, which means "to be able to" or "to know how to." In this sentence, it shows that the speaker has the ability (i.e., can or knows how) to perform the action expressed by the infinitive puhua ("to speak").

Why is the object suomea in the partitive case rather than the nominative suomi?

The word suomea is the partitive form of suomi. In Finnish, the partitive case is commonly used for objects that are considered indefinite, incomplete, or representing a quantity that is not being fully defined. When talking about skills like speaking a language, the partitive form implies proficiency in the language without suggesting a complete or bounded entity.

Why is the subject pronoun Minä explicitly stated when the verb conjugation already conveys the subject?

Finnish verb conjugations inherently indicate the subject, so including Minä (meaning "I") is optional. However, beginners and learners often include the pronoun for clarity and emphasis. As learners become more comfortable, they may choose to drop the subject pronoun in casual conversation.

What role does the infinitive puhua play in the sentence?

The infinitive puhua functions as the complement to the modal verb osaan. This construction—using a modal verb followed by an infinitive—is common in Finnish to express ability or proficiency, much like saying "can speak" in English.

Could this sentence be expressed in a different word order while still keeping the same meaning?

Yes, while the standard order is subject (optional) + conjugated verb + infinitive phrase, native speakers might sometimes vary the order for emphasis or stylistic reasons. For example, in very casual speech the subject might be dropped entirely: osaan puhua suomea. However, the provided word order is the most straightforward and common way to express the idea.