Breakdown of Jos olisin ehtinyt raitiovaunuun, olisin ollut ajoissa kokouksessa.
minä
I
olla
to be
-ssa
in
jos
if
ehtiä
to make it
kokous
the meeting
ajoissa
on time
raitiovaunu
the tram
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Finnish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Jos olisin ehtinyt raitiovaunuun, olisin ollut ajoissa kokouksessa.
What tense and mood are used in olisin ehtinyt and olisin ollut?
These verbs are in the perfect conditional mood (conditional II), used to talk about hypothetical or counterfactual situations in the past. It is formed with the conditional form of olla plus the past participle (here ehtinyt, ollut).
Why does the sentence use two conditional verbs?
Finnish conditional sentences consist of a protasis (the if clause) and an apodosis (the result). Since this example describes an unreal past condition and its unreal past result, both clauses use the perfect conditional.
How is the perfect conditional constructed?
Combine the conditional form of olla with the main verb’s past participle. For example: minä olisin + ehtinyt = olisin ehtinyt and minä olisin + ollut = olisin ollut.
What is the function of jos in this sentence?
jos is the conditional conjunction if, which introduces the protasis and triggers the use of the conditional mood in Finnish.
Why is raitiovaunuun in the illative case?
The illative case ending -un/uun expresses motion into something. raitiovaunuun literally means into the tram, indicating boarding it.
What does ehtinyt mean and how is it formed?
ehtinyt is the past participle of ehtiä meaning managed or had made it. It is formed by adding -nut/-nyt to the verb stem: ehti- + nyt = ehtinyt.
Why is ajoissa used instead of another form of aika?
ajoissa is an adverb meaning on time. It is formed from aika with the adverbial suffix -ssa/ssä, which conveys within the necessary time frame.
Can the clauses be swapped, and does anything change?
Yes. You can say Olisin ollut ajoissa kokouksessa, jos olisin ehtinyt raitiovaunuun. The meaning remains identical, the comma stays, and both verbs remain in the perfect conditional.
How would you negate this sentence?
Insert the negative auxiliary en before each conditional verb:
Jos en olisi ehtinyt raitiovaunuun, en olisi ollut ajoissa kokouksessa.
What’s the difference between jos olisin ehtinyt and jos ehdin?
jos olisin ehtinyt uses the perfect conditional to express an unreal past condition (if I had made it). jos ehdin uses the simple or potential present to talk about a real or possible situation in the future (if I manage to make it).