Lasku on kallis.

to be

Breakdown of Lasku on kallis.

• kallis: expensive
• lasku: the bill

Questions & Answers about Lasku on kallis.

Why are there no articles in this sentence?

Finnish does not use articles like a or the. Nouns appear bare; context and other markers tell you whether something is definite or indefinite.

What case is lasku, and why is it in the nominative?

Lasku is in the nominative singular, which is used for the subject of a sentence. When a noun performs the action or is described by the copula, it stays in nominative.

Why isn’t kallis inflected any differently?

As a predicate adjective with the copula on, kallis matches the noun’s number and case. Since lasku is singular nominative, kallis stays in its base (nominative singular) form.

What is on in this sentence?

On is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb olla (“to be”). It functions exactly like English is.

How do I negate this sentence?

Use the negative verb ei plus the main verb in its personal form:
• Lasku ei ole kallis. (“The bill is not expensive.”)