Learn Hardcore Finnish: Kielitaito auttaa löytämään paremman työpaikan.

Kielitaito breaks down into kieli (language/tongue) + taito (skill/ability). Together they form “language skill” or “command of a language.”

Why is the verb löytämään in the -maan form instead of the basic infinitive löytää?

Verbs like auttaa (“to help”) are followed by the third infinitive, also called the agentive infinitive, which ends in -maan/-mään. This form expresses “help (someone) to do something,” so you get auttaa löytämään (“helps to find”) rather than auttaa löytää.

What case and form is paremman in paremman työpaikan, and why does it end with -n?

Parempi (“better”) is in the comparative degree, and here it functions as part of the direct object. In Finnish, the singular accusative of many nouns and adjectives is identical to the genitive, marked by -n. Thus parempi → paremman in “paremman työpaikan.”

Why is there no word for “a” or “the” before “better job”?

Finnish does not have articles. Context alone determines whether you mean “a better job” or “the better job.” You simply say paremman työpaikan for both.

Can I change the word order to emphasize something, or must it always be Kielitaito auttaa löytämään…?

Finnish word order is flexible. The neutral order is Subject–Verb–Object (“Kielitaito auttaa löytämään…”). If you start with Löytämään paremman työpaikan kielitaito auttaa, you’d emphasize the act of finding a better job, but the basic meaning stays the same.

Why is työpaikka singular here instead of plural?

We’re talking about finding “a better job” in general, so we use the singular. If you wanted “better jobs” you’d pluralize both subject and object:
Kielitaidot auttavat löytämään parempia työpaikkoja.

How do I say “my language skill helps to find a better job”?

You add a possessive suffix to kielitaito:
Kielitaitoni auttaa löytämään paremman työpaikan.
Here -ni marks “my.”

What form is auttaa, and why is it not “auttaa” + “-maan” attached directly to “kielitaito”?

Auttaa is the third-person singular present indicative (“it helps”) agreeing with kielitaito. The infinitive löytämään is a separate verbal noun form that follows auttaa. You don’t attach -maan to kielitaito, because -maan belongs to the verb you’re helping with (“löytämään”).

How do you pronounce the long vowels and consonants in this sentence?

Finnish pronunciation is very regular:

Double vowels like ää in löytämään are held twice as long as a single ä.
Double consonants like tt in auttaa are also held twice as long.
Stress always falls on the first syllable: KIE-li-tai-to AU-tta LOY-tä-mään PA-rem-man TYÖ-pa-i-KAN.