Learn Hardcore Finnish: Unohdin salasanan, joten en pääse palveluun. - I forgot the password, so I cannot access the service.

In Finnish, coordinating conjunctions like joten (“so”/“therefore”) that link two main clauses are preceded by a comma. Here you have: • Unohdin salasanan (first main clause)
• joten en pääse palveluun (second main clause)
The comma marks the shift from cause (I forgot the password) to effect (I can’t access the service).

What is joten and how does it differ from koska or että?

• joten = “so,” expressing result or consequence.
• koska = “because,” introducing a reason or cause.
• että = “that,” used for subordinate clauses (e.g. reporting speech or thought).
You could also say En pääse palveluun, koska unohdin salasanan, but using joten means “I forgot the password, so I can’t access the service.”

Why is salasanan in the genitive case instead of the partitive?

The verb unohtaa (“to forget”) often takes a total object—i.e. a completed action—so Finnish marks it with the genitive case.
• Genitive singular of salasana is salasanan → “the password” as a fully forgotten item.
If you used the partitive salasanaa, it would imply partial or ongoing action (“some of the password”), which doesn’t fit here.

Could I also use salasanaa or salasanani instead of salasanan?

Yes, but with different nuances:
• salasanaa (partitive) → sounds like “I forgot some of the password,” so it’s not typical.
• salasanani (genitive + possessive suffix) → “my password.” This is perfectly natural: Unohdin salasanani.

Why is the verb form en pääse used, not pääsen?

Finnish negative sentences use a negative auxiliary plus a special form of the main verb (the “connegative,” which has no personal ending).
• Positive: pääsen = “I get in/access.”
• Negative: en (1 sg. negative) + pääse (connegative) = “I can’t get in/access.”

What case is palveluun, and why is it used here?

palveluun is the illative singular of palvelu (“service”). The illative expresses movement “into” something. The verb päästä (“to get into/access”) requires its object in the illative, so literally “get into the service.”

Why is the pronoun minä omitted in both clauses?

Finnish typically drops subject pronouns because the verb endings already indicate person and number. Both unohdin and en pääse are clearly first person singular, so minä is unnecessary and left out.

How is the past tense unohdin formed from unohtaa?

unohtaa is a Type I verb. Its imperfect (simple past) for 1 sg. replaces the final -a with -i and adds -n:
unohtaa → unohdin

Can I use a different verb, like kirjautua or saa, to say the same thing?

Yes. Common alternatives include:
• En pääse kirjautumaan palveluun. (“I can’t log into the service.”)
• En saa kirjautua palveluun. (“I’m not allowed / can’t log into the service.”)
But pääse palveluun is more colloquial and very widely used.