Breakdown of Kun haluan rauhaa, menen hiljaiseen kahvilaan keskustassa.
minä
I
mennä
to go
haluta
to want
-ssa
in
kun
when
kahvila
the café
rauha
the peace
hiljainen
quiet
keskusta
the city center
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Questions & Answers about Kun haluan rauhaa, menen hiljaiseen kahvilaan keskustassa.
What does the word kun mean in this sentence?
Kun translates as "when" in English and is used to introduce a subordinate clause that sets the condition or time for the main action.
Why is rauhaa used instead of rauha in the phrase "haluan rauhaa"?
In Finnish, abstract or non-count nouns like rauha (peace) often appear in the partitive case when used as objects of verbs expressing desire. This is why rauha becomes rauhaa in this sentence—it emphasizes an indefinite or incomplete notion of peace.
What is the role of kahvilaan and what does its ending indicate?
Kahvilaan is in the illative case, which is used to show movement toward a destination. The -aan ending signals that the speaker is going "to the cafe." This perfectly pairs with the verb menen, which means "I go."
Why does the adjective appear as hiljaiseen instead of hiljainen?
In Finnish, adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in case. Since kahvilaan is in the illative case, the adjective takes the corresponding illative form—hence hiljainen becomes hiljaiseen.
What does keskustassa tell us about the location in the sentence?
Keskustassa is in the inessive case, which indicates a location. It specifies that the cafe is situated "in the center" (or downtown), thereby providing additional context about where the journey takes place.
Why aren’t explicit subject pronouns like "I" used in this sentence?
Finnish verb conjugations inherently include information about the subject. Both haluan and menen are in the first person singular form, so it is understood that the speaker is referring to themselves. Explicit subject pronouns are often omitted as a result.