Haluan maistaa myös jälkiruokaa.

I want to taste the dessert as well.

Breakdown of Haluan maistaa myös jälkiruokaa.

• minä: I
• myös: also
• haluta: to want
• maistaa: to taste
• jälkiruoka: the dessert

Questions & Answers about Haluan maistaa myös jälkiruokaa.

Which verb form is Haluan and how does it differ from Haluaisin in tone?

Haluan is the 1st person singular present indicative of haluta (to want), literally I want. It’s a straightforward, direct expression of desire.
Haluaisin is the conditional form (I would like), which sounds softer or more polite:
Haluaisin maistaa myös jälkiruokaa = I would like to taste dessert too.

Why is maistaa not conjugated as maistan?

After verbs like haluta, the next verb remains in the basic (1st) infinitive. So haluan maistaa = I want to taste. You don’t say haluan maistan; the secondary verb stays in the infinitive.

Why is jälkiruokaa in the partitive case?

Two main reasons:
• Maistaa (to taste) suggests an indefinite or partial amount, so its object takes the partitive.
• In a haluan + infinitive structure, the object of the infinitive normally appears in the partitive.
The partitive singular of jälkiruoka (dessert) is jälkiruokaa.

What does myös mean and where can it be placed?

Myös means also or too. It marks addition. Finnish word order is flexible, so placement changes the nuance slightly:

• Haluan myös maistaa jälkiruokaa – “I also want to taste dessert” (the wanting is additional)
• Haluan maistaa myös jälkiruokaa – “I want to taste dessert too” (tasting dessert is an extra action)

Why is the subject minä omitted?

Finnish verbs are marked for person, so the pronoun is often dropped. Haluan already implies minä (I). You can add it for emphasis: Minä haluan maistaa myös jälkiruokaa.

Can I use a more polite or indirect form than Haluan?

Yes. Use the conditional Haluaisin instead of the present indicative Haluan for a softer tone:
Haluaisin maistaa myös jälkiruokaa = I would like to taste dessert too.

Could I replace maistaa with kokeilla here?

Yes. Maistaa means “to taste” (focus on flavour), while kokeilla means “to try” or “to experiment.”
Haluan kokeilla jälkiruokaa = I want to try dessert.

Can I swap myös for the enclitic -kin?

Absolutely. Attach -kin to jälkiruoka:
Haluan maistaa jälkiruokaakin = I want to taste dessert too.
This is more colloquial and packs the “also” into the noun.

How is jälkiruokaa pronounced and where does the stress fall?

Primary stress in Finnish always falls on the first syllable. The compound breaks into syllables as JÄL-ki-ruo-ka-a, with stress on JÄL. It sounds like /ˈjælki.ruo̯kɑː/.