Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Finnish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Selitys oli selkeä ja lyhyt.
What does selitys mean?
Selitys means “explanation” or “clarification.” It’s a noun in the nominative singular form.
What is the role of oli in this sentence?
Oli is the past tense form of the verb olla, meaning “to be.” Here it functions as a copula, so the sentence literally reads “The explanation was clear and short.”
Why are selkeä and lyhyt not inflected further?
They are predicate adjectives describing a singular subject (selitys) after a copula. In Finnish, predicate adjectives agree in case and number with the subject, so both remain in the nominative singular.
Could I swap the order of the adjectives and say “Selitys oli lyhyt ja selkeä”?
Yes. With coordinate adjectives joined by ja (“and”), you can freely switch their order without changing the basic meaning:
- Selitys oli selkeä ja lyhyt.
- Selitys oli lyhyt ja selkeä.
How would you talk about multiple explanations being clear and short?
You’d put the noun and adjectives into the plural nominative:
- Selitykset olivat selkeitä ja lyhyitä.
(NOTE: With plural predicate adjectives, you use the plural partitive form selkeitä, lyhyitä.)
What’s the difference between selkeä and selvä?
Both can mean “clear,” but:
- selkeä often refers to something being unambiguous or well-structured (e.g. a clear explanation).
- selvä is more general “clear” or “understood” (e.g. “Selvä!” = “Got it!”).
How do you pronounce selkeä and lyhyt?
Finnish words always stress the first syllable. Vowel length matters:
- selkeä = /ˈsel.keː.æ/ (“sel” short, “keä” long).
- lyhyt = /ˈly.hyt/ (the y is a rounded front vowel, like German ü).
Can you drop oli and just say “Selitys selkeä ja lyhyt”?
No. Finnish requires the copula (olla) in a sentence where you state “X is Y.” Without oli/on, it sounds incomplete.
Why are the adjectives not in the partitive case here?
Predicate adjectives after olla normally take nominative when describing a definite subject. If you want to express an indefinite amount of quality, you might use partitive (e.g. Tämä oli tosi selkeää = “This was really clear” in the sense of “some amount of clarity”), but for straightforward descriptions with a clear subject, use nominative.