Breakdown of Katto vuotaa, joten minun täytyy korjata se pian.
minun
my
pian
soon
se
it
joten
so
täytyä
to have to
katto
the roof
vuotaa
to leak
korjata
to repair
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Questions & Answers about Katto vuotaa, joten minun täytyy korjata se pian.
What does the form vuotaa tell me about the verb here?
vuotaa is the third person singular present tense form of the verb vuotaa (“to leak”). It shows that katto (the roof) is performing the action right now: “the roof is leaking.”
Why is joten used in this sentence, and what does it mean? Could I replace it with ja or another word?
joten means “so” or “therefore” and signals a causal relationship (“the roof is leaking, so I must fix it”). You could replace joten with siksi or siispä to keep the meaning. Using ja (“and”) would simply link the clauses without stressing cause and effect.
How does minun täytyy work? Why is minun in the genitive case?
täytyy is an impersonal verb meaning “must” or “have to.” It requires a genitive pronoun to indicate whose necessity it is. Hence minun (genitive of “minä,” I) + täytyy = “I must.” In spoken Finnish you often hear mun täytyy, but you cannot say mä täytyy—the pronoun stays in genitive.
Can I drop minun and just say Täytyy korjata se pian?
Yes. In Finnish impersonal constructions it’s common to omit the genitive pronoun. Täytyy korjata se pian still means “I have to fix it soon,” but it’s more neutral and a bit less personal.
Why is korjata in the dictionary (basic) form here?
After täytyy you always use the first infinitive (dictionary form) of the verb. So you say täytyy korjata, not korjaan or korjat.
Why is the object pronoun se used instead of repeating katto?
se (“it”) refers back to katto and avoids repetition. As a direct object pronoun in singular, se has the same form in nominative and accusative, so it fits perfectly here.
Could I use the partitive ending on se (i.e., sitä)?
No. You only use the partitive (sitä) if the action is incomplete or ongoing. Here you talk about completing the fixing, so you use the full object se.
What does pian mean, and is it an adverb? Could I say pianen or some other form?
pian means “soon.” It’s an adverb and doesn’t change form (no comparative/superlative). You cannot say pianen; if you wanted “sooner,” you’d use nopeammin (“more quickly”), but that’s a different word.
Is the word order Katto vuotaa, joten minun täytyy korjata se pian fixed? Could I say Minun täytyy pian korjata se, joten katto vuotaa?
Finnish word order is quite flexible, but moving joten-clause before the cause clause can feel odd. You could say Minun täytyy pian korjata se, koska katto vuotaa, using koska (“because”) instead of joten, but reversing the original order with joten is unusual.