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Questions & Answers about Valinta on hyvä.
Why is there no article before valinta in this sentence?
Finnish does not use articles. Unlike English, where you might say “the choice,” Finnish simply uses valinta without a definite or indefinite article.
What does the verb on indicate in this sentence?
On is the third-person singular present form of the verb olla (to be). It serves as a copula, linking the subject valinta with the predicate adjective hyvä.
How does the adjective hyvä function grammatically here?
Hyvä acts as a predicate adjective that describes the subject. It remains in the nominative form because, in Finnish, adjectives in the predicate position do not require inflection beyond matching the subject’s case.
Why doesn’t hyvä change its form to agree with valinta in a different manner?
In Finnish, when an adjective is used as a predicate complement (after a copula like on), it stays in the base (nominative) form rather than showing extra agreement with the subject, which simplifies the structure compared to some other languages.
Is the word order in “Valinta on hyvä” fixed, or can it be rearranged?
Finnish generally has a flexible word order due to its rich case system. However, in a simple sentence like this, the typical order is subject (valinta), verb (), and predicate adjective (), which clearly conveys the intended meaning.