Käyttö on tärkeä.

The use is important.

Breakdown of Käyttö on tärkeä.

• olla: to be
• tärkeä: important
• käyttö: the use

Questions & Answers about Käyttö on tärkeä.

What does käyttö mean in English?

Käyttö translates as usage or use. In this sentence, it refers to the act or manner of using something.

Why is the adjective tärkeä in its base form rather than being inflected?

In Finnish, when an adjective is used predicatively after a linking verb such as on (is), it remains in its basic form and agrees in number and case with the subject. Since käyttö is in the nominative singular, tärkeä also appears in the nominative singular form.

What role does the verb on play in this sentence?

On is the present tense form of the verb olla (to be). It functions as a linking verb that connects the subject (käyttö) with the predicate adjective (tärkeä), much like “is” in English.

How does the word order in Käyttö on tärkeä compare to that in English?

Finnish typically follows a Subject-Verb-Predicate order, which is the same as in English. Here, käyttö (subject) comes first, followed by on (verb), and then tärkeä (predicate adjective), mirroring the English sentence "Usage is important." However, Finnish word order can be flexible for emphasis or stylistic reasons.

Are there alternative ways to express the same idea in Finnish?

Yes, Finnish allows for variations. For example, you might rearrange the sentence for emphasis—such as "Tärkeä on käyttö"—to stress the adjective. Additional modifiers or adverbs can also be used to nuance meaning, but "Käyttö on tärkeä" is a clear, straightforward expression.

How should I pronounce the characters, particularly ä, in this sentence?

In Finnish, ä is pronounced like the "a" in "cat". So käyttö is pronounced roughly as [kae-tuh] (keeping in mind the clear, distinct vowel sounds typical of Finnish), and tärkeä sounds like [tar-keh-ah]. Listening to native speakers can be very helpful in mastering these sounds.