Learn Hardcore Finnish: Minuutin kuluttua puhelin soi.

minuutin kuluttua literally means “after a minute.” In Finnish, to express “(some time) later,” you put the time expression in the genitive (here minuutin) and follow it with the postposition kuluttua.

What kind of word is kuluttua, and how is it used?

kuluttua is a postposition (often called a temporal case form) that follows a genitive time expression to mean “after (that amount of time).” It attaches directly to the genitive noun—no extra case ending is needed on kuluttua itself.

Why is the verb soi in the present tense when it refers to a future event?

Finnish typically uses the present tense for both present and near-future events. The time expression minuutin kuluttua tells us when it will happen, so puhelin soi can be translated as “the phone will ring in a minute.”

Why isn’t there a word equivalent to English “will” or another auxiliary to mark the future?

Finnish has no separate future tense or auxiliary like “will.” The present tense covers future actions, and any time reference (e.g. minuutin kuluttua) clarifies that it’s in the future.

Can the word order be changed? For example, is Puhelin soi minuutin kuluttua correct?