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Questions & Answers about Minulla on iso ongelma.
What does minulla mean, and why is it in the adessive case?
Minulla literally translates to “at me.” In Finnish, possession is expressed by putting the possessor in the adessive case. So instead of using a subject pronoun like “I have,” Finnish uses minulla to show that something is “with” or “at” the person.
Why is the verb on in its third-person singular form even though the sentence means “I have a big problem”?
The verb on is the third-person singular form of olla (to be) and is used in an impersonal construction to express existence. The possessor’s case (minulla) indicates who has something, while on simply affirms that something exists. This construction doesn’t require the verb to be conjugated for the subject “I.”
How does the adjective iso function in this sentence, and does it need to agree with ongelma?
In this sentence, iso functions as an attributive adjective modifying ongelma (problem). In Finnish, adjectives typically come directly before the noun they describe without necessarily taking extra agreement endings in this context. Thus, iso remains in its basic form, effectively meaning “big.”
How is possession expressed in this sentence differently from English word order?
In English, possession is usually expressed by having the subject (e.g., “I”) directly perform an action (“have a big problem”). In Finnish, possession is shown by using the adessive case, as in minulla (“at me”), followed by the impersonal verb on. The sentence literally translates as “At me is a big problem,” which is the standard way of indicating possession in Finnish.
Could you break down the sentence word by word?
Certainly. Minulla comes from minä (“I”) with the adessive ending -lla, indicating possession, or “at me.” On is the third-person singular form of olla (to be/have), used to state the existence of something. Iso is an adjective meaning “big,” and ongelma is a noun meaning “problem.” Together, they form the sentence “I have a big problem.”