Breakdown of Keskiyöllä katu on hiljainen ja kakku on lopulta valmis.
olla
to be
ja
and
valmis
ready
katu
the street
hiljainen
quiet
kakku
the cake
keskiyöllä
at midnight
lopulta
finally
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Questions & Answers about Keskiyöllä katu on hiljainen ja kakku on lopulta valmis.
What does keskiyöllä mean, and why is it in this form?
keskiyöllä is the adessive case of keskiyö (“midnight”). The suffix -llä indicates “at” a specific time, so keskiyöllä literally translates to “at midnight.”
Why is katu not preceded by an article like “the” or “a”?
Finnish has no definite or indefinite articles. Nouns stand alone, and context or other words (like possessives) convey definiteness, not separate words like “the” or “a.”
Why is katu in the nominative case here?
In Finnish, the subject of a sentence is typically in the nominative case. Since katu is the subject of “katu on hiljainen,” it remains in nominative singular.
What does hiljainen mean, and why doesn’t it change its ending?
hiljainen is an adjective meaning “quiet” or “silent.” Used predicatively (with olla, “to be”), it agrees with its subject in case and number (nominative singular), so it displays its base form without extra endings.
How is hiljainen different from hiljaa?
hiljainen is an adjective used to describe a noun (“a quiet street”), whereas hiljaa is the adverb form meaning “quietly,” modifying verbs (“the car moves quietly”).
What does lopulta mean, and how is it used here?
lopulta is an adverb meaning “finally,” “in the end,” or “ultimately.” In “kakku on lopulta valmis,” it indicates that the cake took time but is now ready.
Why are there two on verbs in the sentence?
on is the third-person singular of olla (“to be”). Each independent clause (“the street is quiet” and “the cake is ready”) needs its own verb, so on appears twice.
Could you use keskellä yötä instead of keskiyöllä?
Yes. keskellä yötä means “in the middle of the night” (with yötä in the partitive). It’s a more descriptive phrase but conveys essentially the same timeframe as keskiyöllä.
Why is there no comma before ja even though it joins two independent clauses?
Finnish normally omits commas before coordinating conjunctions like ja (“and”) unless inserting one improves clarity. Running the clauses together without a comma is standard.
Is the word order fixed, or could I say Katu on hiljainen keskiyöllä ja kakku on lopulta valmis to emphasize something else?
Finnish word order is fairly flexible. Placing keskiyöllä later shifts emphasis onto the street’s quietness, with the time added as extra information. Both versions are grammatically correct.