Opettaja aloittaa oppitunnin aina täsmällisesti.

The teacher always starts the lesson punctually.

Breakdown of Opettaja aloittaa oppitunnin aina täsmällisesti.

• aina: always
• opettaja: the teacher
• aloittaa: to start
• oppitunti: the lesson
• täsmällisesti: punctually

Questions & Answers about Opettaja aloittaa oppitunnin aina täsmällisesti.

Why is oppitunnin in the partitive case rather than the nominative?

In Finnish, many verbs that involve “starting” or “doing” something take their object in the partitive case. Aloittaa (“to start something”) is one of them.

• The nominative of oppitunti is oppitunti, but after aloittaa we use the partitive oppitunnin.
• If you used alkaa (“to begin,” intransitive), you wouldn’t have a direct object at all (e.g. Tunti alkaa.).

Why isn’t there an article like “the” before opettaja?

Finnish has no definite or indefinite articles. A bare noun can mean “a” or “the” depending on context.

• Opettaja can be “a teacher” or “the teacher.”
• Context and word order usually tell you if it’s specific.

How is täsmällisesti formed and what exactly does it mean?

Täsmällisesti is an adverb formed from the adjective täsmällinen (“precise; punctual”) by replacing -nen with -sti.

• Adjective: täsmällinen → Adverb: täsmällisesti
• It means “punctually,” “precisely,” or “on time.”

What’s the difference between the verbs aloittaa and alkaa?

• Aloittaa is transitive: you start something (you need an object).
  Example: Opettaja aloittaa oppitunnin.
• Alkaa is intransitive: something begins on its own (no object).
  Example: Oppitunti alkaa kello kahdeksan. (“The lesson begins at eight o’clock.”)

Why are aina and täsmällisesti placed where they are in the sentence? Could I move them?

Finnish word order is relatively flexible, but typical patterns apply:

• Aina (“always,” a frequency adverb) often comes after the verb or at the very beginning for emphasis.
• Täsmällisesti (“punctually,” a manner adverb) frequently appears at the end.
  You could say:
• Aina opettaja aloittaa oppitunnin täsmällisesti. (Emphasizes “always.”)
• Opettaja aloittaa aina oppitunnin täsmällisesti. (Neutral.)
  Moving täsmällisesti before oppitunnin is possible but feels less natural.

What’s the difference between oppitunti and tunti?

• Tunti is “an hour” or “a period of time,” and also “a class period.”
• Oppitunti specifically means “a lesson” (the teaching session itself).
  So oppitunti = “lesson,” tunti = “hour”/“class period.”

What type of verb is aloittaa, and how do I conjugate it in the present tense?

Aloittaa belongs to Finnish verb type IV (–ata/–ätä, –tta/–ttä). Here’s the present tense conjugation:

• minä aloitan
• sinä aloitat
• hän aloittaa
• me aloitamme
• te aloitatte
• he aloittavat
  You form it by dropping -a/–ä from the infinitive and adding the personal endings to the stem aloitta-.