Learn Hardcore Finnish: Auto on erilainen.

Finnish does not have articles like English does. The word auto can refer to a car in general or a specific car depending on the context, so there isn’t a need for a word equivalent to “the” or “a.”

What does the word on mean in this sentence?

On is the third person singular present form of the verb olla (to be). It functions as a linking verb in the sentence, connecting the subject auto to the predicate adjective erilainen.

How does the adjective erilainen function in the sentence?

Erilainen is used as a predicate adjective describing the subject auto. In Finnish, adjectives in the predicate position typically remain in their basic nominative form, which is why no additional ending is added here.

What is the typical word order of this Finnish sentence, and is it similar to English?

The sentence follows a subject–verb–predicate structure: auto (subject) – on (verb) – erilainen (predicate adjective). While this order is common in everyday Finnish, Finnish word order can be flexible compared to the more fixed subject–verb–object order in English.

How would the sentence change if you wanted to say “Cars are different” in Finnish?