Learn Hardcore Finnish: Silta on pitkä mutta turvallinen.

Finnish doesn’t use articles. A noun alone covers both “a” and “the.” Context tells you whether it’s definite or indefinite. So silta can mean “a bridge” or “the bridge.”

What does on mean in silta on pitkä?

On is the 3rd person singular of olla (to be).
• silta on = the bridge is
You need it to link the subject to its description.

Why are pitkä and turvallinen uninflected here?

They’re used predicatively (after on), so they stay in the basic nominative singular form. Attributive adjectives (before a noun) must agree in case, but predicative ones do not.
• attributive: pitkä silta (long bridge)
• predicative: silta on pitkä (the bridge is long)

Why does pitkä come after the verb instead of before silta, unlike English word order?

In Finnish, when you describe something with olla, the adjective follows the verb as a predicate. If you want the adjective before the noun (like English), it’s attributive, not predicative:
• predicative: silta on pitkä
• attributive: pitkä silta

What kind of word is mutta, and could I use something else?

• mutta is a simple coordinating conjunction meaning but, used to contrast:
– silta on pitkä mutta turvallinen (the bridge is long but safe)
• vaan corrects a preceding negative (e.g. En mene, vaan jään).
• kuitenkin or silti mean however/still and often feel more formal or emphatic.

How is turvallinen formed?

It’s built from the noun turva (safety) + the adjective-forming suffix -llinen.
• turva → turvallinen = safe, secure.

Is there any special punctuation around mutta? Why no comma?

In Finnish, short coordinate phrases (especially linking adjectives about the same subject) usually omit commas. It’s considered one clause:
• Silta on pitkä mutta turvallinen.
You could add a comma for clarity or style, especially in longer sentences, but it’s not required here.

How do I pronounce pitkä correctly?

• The i in pitkä is long: [iː].
• The tk cluster involves a slight pause or lengthening before the k (gemination).
Practice by holding the vowel then the consonant a bit longer than in English.