Breakdown of Valitsen nopeimman bussin, koska minulla on kiire.
minä
I
olla
to be
koska
because
kiire
the hurry
bussi
the bus
nopein
fastest
valita
to choose
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Questions & Answers about Valitsen nopeimman bussin, koska minulla on kiire.
What tense and person is valitsen, and which verb does it come from?
Valitsen is the first person singular present tense of valita (“to choose”). It means “I choose” or “I am choosing.”
How is the superlative nopeimman formed, and why not nopeampi or nopein?
Adjectives form the comparative with -mpi (so nopea → nopeampi, “faster”). To make the attributive superlative (used before a noun), you replace -mpi with -imman:
- nopeampi → nopeimman (“fastest”)
Then you decline it to match bussi in case and number, giving nopeimman bussin.
What case is bussin, and why is it used here?
Bussin is the accusative singular (it looks like the genitive). Finnish uses the accusative to mark a complete or definite direct object.
Why are there no words for “the” or “a” in this sentence?
Finnish has no articles. Definiteness or indefiniteness is inferred from context, word order, or demonstratives (e.g. tämä “this”).
Why is minulla on kiire used for “I’m in a hurry” instead of minä olen kiireinen?
Finnish expresses “to have” or states like “being in a hurry” with olla + a noun and the possessor in the adessive case. Minulla on kiire literally means “on me is hurry.” Minä olen kiireinen would translate more as “I am hurried/busy,” but it isn’t the normal way to say “I’m in a hurry.”
What case is minulla, and what role does it play?
Minulla is the adessive singular of minä and marks the person who “has” something in constructions with olla:
minulla on X → “I have X.”
Why is kiire in the nominative case and not partitive?
In minulla on kiire, kiire functions as the predicate noun (subject complement) after olla, so it remains in the nominative singular.
What does koska mean here, and are there alternatives for “because” in Finnish?
Koska is a causal conjunction meaning “because.” Alternatives include sillä, siksi että, or colloquially kun, but koska is the most straightforward.
Is the comma before koska mandatory, and can the clause order be changed?
Yes, subordinate clauses (like the one introduced by koska) are normally set off with a comma. You can also write:
Koska minulla on kiire, valitsen nopeimman bussin.