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Questions & Answers about Kannettava tietokone toimii hyvin.
What part of speech is kannettava and how is it formed?
Kannettava is a participial adjective derived from the verb kantaa (to carry) plus the suffix -ttava, which creates an adjective meaning “something that can be carried” or “portable.” In Finnish, such adjectives agree in case and number with the nouns they modify.
Why are both kannettava and tietokone in the nominative case?
They form the subject of the sentence. In Finnish, the subject (and any attributive adjectives) appears in the nominative case, which is the default, unmarked case for nouns and adjectives.
What does toimia mean and why is toimii used here to translate “works”?
The verb toimia means “to function” or “to operate.” Toimii is its third person singular present tense (“it functions”). English often uses “works” in the same sense (“the laptop works well”), so toimii is a natural match.
What is the difference between hyvä and hyvin, and why is hyvin used?
Hyvä is an adjective meaning “good,” while hyvin is the corresponding adverb meaning “well.” Since we’re describing how the laptop functions (i.e. modifying the verb toimii), we need the adverb hyvin.
Could I drop tietokone and just say kannettava toimii hyvin to mean “The laptop works well”?
Yes. In colloquial Finnish, kannettava is often used on its own as a noun meaning “laptop.” The context makes it clear you’re talking about the computer.
Why is the word order kannettava tietokone toimii hyvin and not something like tietokone kannettava toimisi hyvin?
The neutral (unmarked) order in Finnish is Subject–Verb–(Object/Adverbial). Here kannettava tietokone is the subject, toimii the verb, hyvin the adverbial. You can rearrange words for emphasis, but the given order is standard.
How would you make this sentence negative: “The laptop doesn’t work well”?
Use the negative auxiliary ei and put the main verb in its basic form with the corresponding negative personal ending:
Kannettava tietokone ei toimi hyvin.
How would you say “my laptop works well” in Finnish?
Attach the possessive suffix -ni to tietokone:
Kannettava tietokoneeni toimii hyvin.