Vanha tietokone on vielä hitaampi kuin tämä puhelin, mutta sitä voi silti käyttää hätätilanteessa.

The old computer is even slower than this phone, but it can still be used in an emergency.

Breakdown of Vanha tietokone on vielä hitaampi kuin tämä puhelin, mutta sitä voi silti käyttää hätätilanteessa.

• olla: to be
• tämä: this
• vanha: old
• mutta: but
• -ssa: in
• puhelin: the phone
• se: it
• voida: can
• tietokone: the computer
• käyttää: to use
• kuin: than
• silti: still
• hidas: slow
• hätätilanne: the emergency

Questions & Answers about Vanha tietokone on vielä hitaampi kuin tämä puhelin, mutta sitä voi silti käyttää hätätilanteessa.

What does hitaampi mean and how is it formed from the adjective hidas?

Hitaampi means “slower.” In Finnish, adjectives form their comparative by adding the suffix -mpi to the basic form. Thus, hidas (“slow”) becomes hitaampi (“slower”).

What is the role of the word vielä in the sentence?

Vielä functions as an adverb that intensifies the comparison. It can be understood as “even” or “still,” emphasizing that the old computer is even slower than the phone.

What is the difference between vielä and silti as used in this sentence?

Though both can translate to “still” in English, their roles differ. Vielä modifies the comparative adjective (hitaampi), stressing the degree of slowness. In contrast, silti is used in the second clause to mean “nonetheless,” indicating that despite its slowness, the computer remains usable in an emergency.

Why is the pronoun sitä used in the second clause, and what grammatical case does it represent?

Sitä refers back to tietokone (“computer”) from the first clause. It is in the partitive case, which is often used in Finnish with verbs like käyttää when the object is viewed in a general, incomplete, or non-total context.

How is hätätilanteessa constructed and what does it express?

Hätätilanteessa is a compound word formed from hätä (“emergency”) and tilanne (“situation”), with the ending -ssa indicating the inessive case. This construction shows location or circumstance, so the word translates as “in an emergency.”

How does the sentence structure use contrasting ideas, and what is the function of mutta?

The sentence is divided into two contrasting parts: the first clause compares the computer and the phone by noting that the old computer is slower, while the second clause adds that it remains usable in emergencies. The conjunction mutta (“but”) links these clauses, highlighting the contrast between the computer’s performance and its practical use when necessary.