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Questions & Answers about Oppitunti alkaa nyt.
Why is there no article before oppitunti?
Finnish doesn’t use articles like “a” or “the.” You simply say oppitunti whether you mean “a lesson” or “the lesson,” and the context tells you which one it is.
Which word is the subject in Oppitunti alkaa nyt?
Oppitunti is in the nominative case, marking it as the subject. The verb alkaa (to begin) agrees with it in the third-person singular.
Why isn’t there a subject pronoun like se (it)?
In Finnish, pronouns are often dropped when the subject is clear from context or already stated. Adding se here (as in “se oppitunti alkaa nyt”) would be redundant.
What form is alkaa, and why not alkaat or alkaamme?
alkaa is the third-person singular present indicative form of the verb alkaa. You use alkaa because oppitunti (“lesson”) is a third-person singular subject. alkaat would be second person singular (“you begin”), alkaamme is first person plural (“we begin”), and so on.
Why is nyt placed at the end? Can I move it?
Finnish word order is flexible. The neutral order here is Subject–Verb–Adverb, so nyt (“now”) naturally follows the verb. You can move it to the front for emphasis: Nyt oppitunti alkaa (“Now the lesson begins”).
How do I pronounce Oppitunti alkaa nyt? Where do I put the stress?
Finnish words always carry stress on the first syllable. So you say:
OP-pi-tun-ti AL-kaa NYT
Each vowel is pronounced clearly, with no silent letters.