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Questions & Answers about Tyyny on pehmeä ja mukava.
What case is tyyny in and why aren’t there any words for “a” or “the” in the sentence?
tyyny is in the nominative singular case, which is the unmarked form used for subjects. Finnish has no articles, so definiteness (“the pillow”) or indefiniteness (“a pillow”) is inferred from context or added words, not a separate article.
Why are the adjectives pehmeä and mukava in their basic form (nominative singular)?
In Finnish, adjectives agree with the nouns they modify in case and number. Since tyyny is singular nominative, its describing adjectives must also be in singular nominative: pehmeä (soft) and mukava (comfortable).
How would I turn this statement into a yes/no question: “Is the pillow soft and comfortable?”
Add the question enclitic -ko to the verb on, and place it before the subject:
Onko tyyny pehmeä ja mukava?
(“Is pillow soft and comfortable?”)
How do you pronounce tyyny, especially that double y?
Double vowels in Finnish are long. tyyny is pronounced [ˈtyːny], with the first y held about twice as long as a short vowel. Correct vowel length is essential, because tyny (with a short y) would be a different (nonexistent) word.
How do I form the comparative and superlative of pehmeä and mukava?
Most adjectives form the comparative with -mpi and the superlative with -in (plus consonant gradation if needed). For these:
• pehmeä → pehmempi (softer) → pehmein (softest)
• mukava → mukavampi (more comfortable) → mukavin (most comfortable)
How can I turn pehmeä and mukava into adverbs (“softly” and “comfortably”)?
Add the adverbial suffix -sti to the adjective stem:
• pehmeä → pehmeästi (softly)
• mukava → mukavasti (comfortably)
Is the word order fixed? Could I say “Pehmeä ja mukava tyyny on”?
Finnish word order is quite flexible.
• Default: Tyyny on pehmeä ja mukava. (S-V-Adj-Adj)
• Emphasis on qualities: Pehmeä ja mukava tyyny on.
Both are grammatically correct; the second highlights “soft and comfortable” more strongly.