Voisitko neuvoa minua käyttämään tätä uutta ohjelmaa?

Could you advise me on how to use this new program?

Breakdown of Voisitko neuvoa minua käyttämään tätä uutta ohjelmaa?

• tämä: this
• uusi: new
• sinä: you
• minä: me
• voida: to be able
• käyttää: to use
• neuvoa: to advise
• ohjelma: the program

Questions & Answers about Voisitko neuvoa minua käyttämään tätä uutta ohjelmaa?

How is the conditional mood used in voisitko, and why is it suited for polite requests in Finnish?

Voisitko is the conditional form of the verb voida (to be able to) with the yes/no question suffix -ko attached. This construction serves to soften the request—almost like saying “could you” in English—thus making the expression more polite. It’s common in Finnish to use the conditional mood when asking someone for help or advice.

Why is the verb käyttämään in the infinitive form after neuvoa?

In the sentence, käyttämään is an infinitive form that specifies the action for which advice is being sought. Finnish often pairs a verb like neuvoa (to advise) with an infinitive that describes the intended task—in this case, “to use.” This structure connects the request directly to the action without needing a subordinate clause, streamlining the expression.

What role does minua play, and why is it in this particular case?

Minua means “me” and is the object of neuvoa. It appears in the partitive case, which is common in Finnish for objects of certain verbs, especially when the action is indefinite, ongoing, or not viewed as a complete whole. Using the partitive here subtly shifts the focus to the process of being advised rather than a completed action.

Why is tätä uutta ohjelmaa in the partitive form instead of the nominative?

The phrase tätä uutta ohjelmaa serves as the object of the infinitive käyttämään. In many Finnish constructions, especially when conveying a general or not-yet-completed action, the partitive case is used. This signals that the advice will help in learning how to use the program in an ongoing or unspecific sense, rather than referring to a definitive, fully accomplished use.

How flexible is word order in Finnish, and what does the placement of minua before käyttämään indicate?

Finnish features a relatively flexible word order due to its robust case system, which clearly marks the roles of words regardless of their position. In this sentence, placing minua right after neuvoa emphasizes that “me” is the person receiving the advice. The following infinitive phrase käyttämään tätä uutta ohjelmaa then clarifies what action the advice is about. While alternate orders are often acceptable, this arrangement helps maintain clarity, ensuring that each component’s function is easily understood.