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Questions & Answers about Liiallinen jäte on ongelma.
What does liiallinen mean and how is it formed?
liiallinen means excessive or too much. It comes from the adverb liian (too [much]) plus the adjective-forming suffix -linen, turning it into a descriptive word.
Why is jäte not plural (e.g., jäteet)?
jäte is a mass noun meaning waste or garbage. Mass nouns in Finnish usually stay in the singular form when speaking generally or about an uncountable substance.
Why aren’t there articles like a or the in Finnish?
Finnish does not use articles. Definiteness and indefiniteness are expressed through context, word order or demonstratives (e.g., tämä jäte for this waste).
Why are liiallinen and jäte both in the nominative case here?
This is a simple subject–predicate sentence with the copula on. In positive sentences using olla, both the subject and the nominal predicate remain in the nominative singular.
What is the function of on in this sentence?
on is the present tense, 3rd person singular form of olla, meaning to be. It acts as a copula linking liiallinen jäte (subject) to ongelma (predicate complement).
How do you pronounce liiallinen jäte on ongelma, and where is the stress?
Phonetic outline: [ˈliɑlːinen ˈjæte on ˈoŋgelmɑ]. Finnish words always carry primary stress on the first syllable: LI-al-linen JÄ-te ON ON-gel-ma. Note the long vowel ii in liiallinen and the geminate consonant ll.
When would you use the partitive case with jäte instead of the nominative?
In negative sentences or when expressing an indefinite amount, Finnish uses the partitive:
Liiallista jätettä ei ole.
Here liiallista jätettä is partitive singular, corresponding to English There isn’t any excessive waste.
How would you ask Is excessive waste a problem? in Finnish?
Invert the copula and the subject:
Onko liiallinen jäte ongelma?
Here Onko is the interrogative form of on.