Learn Hardcore Finnish: Tuo auto on iso mutta muu auto on kallis. - That car is big but the other car is expensive.

Tuo translates as “that” in English. It is a demonstrative adjective used to point out a specific car (typically one that is a bit farther from the speaker or already known in the context). In Finnish, adjectives like this are placed directly before the noun they modify, which is why you see tuo auto.

What is the difference between using muu and toinen when referring to cars?

Muu means “other” or “the other”, implying a contrast with a previously mentioned item—in this case, the car already introduced with tuo. On the other hand, toinen generally means “another” or “second”. In this sentence, muu auto emphasizes that it is the alternative car (with a different quality), not merely an additional or second car.

Why is the verb on repeated in both clauses and what role does it play?

The verb on is the third person singular form of the Finnish copula "olla" (to be). It connects the subject with its descriptive predicate in each clause. Since Finnish typically requires each independent clause to have its own copula, on appears once in “Tuo auto on iso” and again separately in “muu auto on kallis.”

Why do the adjectives iso and kallis come after the verb on rather than directly before the nouns?

In Finnish, adjectives that function as predicate adjectives—describing the state or quality of the subject via a linking verb—are placed after the copula. Here, iso (big) and kallis (expensive) follow on because they describe what the cars are, rather than directly modifying the noun as an attributive adjective would.

What does mutta mean in this context, and how is it used grammatically?

Mutta translates to “but” in English. It serves as a coordinating conjunction in the sentence, linking two clauses that express contrasting information—in this case, contrasting the qualities of the two cars (big versus expensive).

Is a comma required before mutta in Finnish, similar to some rules in English?

Not necessarily. Finnish punctuation rules for coordinating conjunctions like mutta are more flexible than in English. While a comma can be used for clarity in more complex sentences, in straightforward sentences like this one it is generally acceptable to omit the comma.