Lasi on kirkas.

to be

Breakdown of Lasi on kirkas.

• lasi: the glass
• kirkas: clear

Questions & Answers about Lasi on kirkas.

Why is there no definite article before lasi in the sentence?

Finnish does not use articles like the or a/an. In Finnish, context usually makes it clear whether the noun is definite or indefinite, so additional words for articles aren’t needed.

What role does on play in this sentence?

On is the third-person singular present form of the verb olla (meaning “to be”). It functions as the copula linking the subject lasi with its predicate adjective kirkas.

How does kirkas function within the sentence?

Kirkas serves as a predicate adjective that describes the subject lasi. In this predicative structure, the adjective remains in its base (nominative) form and does not take additional endings.

Why is the adjective placed after the copula instead of directly before the noun?

In Finnish, when an adjective is used predicatively (as a complement to a linking verb), it follows the copula. If the adjective were used attributively (directly modifying the noun), it would come before the noun. Thus, lasi on kirkas uses the structure: subject + copula + predicate adjective.

Would the structure change if you wanted to say “a clear glass” attributively?

Yes, if you wanted to use kirkas attributively, you would place the adjective before the noun, as in kirkas lasi. This construction directly modifies the noun without using a copula, and the adjective might then require inflection to agree with the noun in number and case.

Is there any subject–verb agreement in Finnish as shown in this sentence?

Finnish does not have the same type of subject–verb agreement as languages like English. In lasi on kirkas, the form on is fixed for third-person singular in the present tense; it remains the same regardless of the subject’s characteristics, as Finnish relies more on context than on extensive conjugation.