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Questions & Answers about Meidän auto on iso.
What does meidän mean in this sentence?
Meidän translates to our. In Finnish, possession is expressed by using the genitive form of the pronoun, so meidän indicates that the car belongs to us.
What does auto refer to in the sentence?
Auto means car. It’s a common word in Finnish that has been borrowed from other European languages and is used just like its English counterpart.
What is the function of on in this sentence?
On is the linking verb meaning is. It is the third person singular form of the verb olla (to be) and connects the subject with its description.
What does iso mean and how is it used here?
Iso means big. In this sentence, it is used predicatively (after the linking verb) to describe the car. Unlike in some languages, the adjective remains in its basic form in this construction.
Why is there no article like “the” before auto?
Finnish does not use articles (such as “a” or “the”). Definiteness is often determined by context rather than by a specific word, so auto stands alone without an article.
How does the structure of this Finnish sentence compare to its English equivalent?
The Finnish sentence Meidän auto on iso. follows a structure similar to English: Subject (our car) – Linking Verb (is) – Predicate Adjective (big). However, Finnish indicates possession using meidän and does away with articles, both of which are handled differently in English.
Can the adjective iso be used attributively, and what would that change in meaning?
Yes, you can use iso attributively by saying meidän iso auto to mean our big car. In that form, the adjective directly modifies the noun. In the original sentence, iso is used predicatively (after on), which functions as a description rather than an inherent property attached before the noun.