Learn Hardcore Finnish: Laskun summa on sata euroa. - The bill’s amount is one hundred euros.

In Finnish, to express “the sum of the bill” you put the possessor (here lasku, “bill”) in the genitive case. So lasku → laskun, and the possessed noun (summa) remains in the nominative: literally “bill’s sum.”

What is summa doing in this sentence—subject or predicate?

Laskun summa (“the sum of the bill”) is the subject in the nominative singular. The verb on (“is”) links this subject to the nominal predicate sata euroa.

Why isn’t there an article like the or a in Finnish?

Finnish has no definite or indefinite articles (“the”/“a”). You simply say laskun summa, and context tells you whether it’s definite or indefinite.

What does on correspond to in English, and what form is it?

On is the 3rd-person singular present tense of olla (“to be”). It means “is.” For past tense you’d use oli (“was”).

Why is sata unchanged here? Shouldn’t it have an ending?

Cardinal numbers like yksi, kaksi, sata, tuhat are invariable when counting. You always use sata for “one hundred” in that position.

What case is euroa, and why isn’t it eurot or just euro?

After numerals greater than one, the counted noun takes the partitive singular. So euro → euroa. You never use nominative plural (eurot) or bare nominative here.

Could I write laskunsumma as one word instead of laskun summa?

Yes. Laskunsumma is a common compound in business Finnish. Both are correct: – Laskunsumma on sata euroa.

Is it possible to drop summa and just say Lasku on sata euroa?

Absolutely. In everyday speech or informal writing, Lasku on sata euroa (“The bill is one hundred euros”) is concise and clear.

How would you ask “How much is the bill?” in Finnish?

You can say: • Paljonko lasku on?
• Paljonko laskun summa on? (more formal)

On an actual invoice, how might this look in a compact form?

You often see: • Laskun summa: 100,00 €
or simply under a heading Summa:
• 100,00 €