Breakdown of Hinta laskee, kun alennus alkaa perjantaina.
kun
when
alkaa
to start
perjantaina
on Friday
hinta
the price
laskea
to drop
alennus
the discount
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Finnish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Hinta laskee, kun alennus alkaa perjantaina.
Why is the verb laskee in the present tense even though the discount only starts on Friday?
Finnish does not have a separate future tense. The simple present form (laskee) covers both present and future actions. Context (here, mentioning perjantaina) tells the listener that you’re talking about a future event.
What is the difference between kun, jos and koska?
- kun = “when” in time clauses (“once/when something happens”)
- jos = “if” (“in case something happens”)
- koska = “because” (gives a reason)
Here you need a time-clause connector (“when the discount starts”), so you use kun.
Why is there a comma before kun?
In Finnish, you separate the main clause from a subordinate clause (introduced by conjunctions like kun) with a comma, just as in English.
What case is perjantaina, and why is it used?
Perjantaina is the adessive case (ending -na/-nä). Finnish uses the adessive for specific days, dates or seasons to mean “on …” (e.g. perjantaina = “on Friday,” kesällä = “in the summer”).
Why does laskea here mean “go down” rather than “to calculate”?
Many Finnish verbs are polysemous. Laskea can mean:
1) “to count” or “to calculate” (when used transitively)
2) “to descend” or “to go down” (when used intransitively, as here with hinta as subject).
Could we move the kun-clause to the front of the sentence?
Yes. You can say:
Kun alennus alkaa perjantaina, hinta laskee.
The meaning is the same; you still separate the clauses with a comma.
Can we shorten the kun-clause using a participle form?
Yes. A common written alternative is:
Alennuksen alkaessa perjantaina hinta laskee.
Here alennuksen alkaessa is a temporal participle (“when the discount starts”), replacing kun alennus alkaa.
Why aren’t there words for “the” or “a” before hinta or alennus?
Finnish has no articles. Definiteness or indefiniteness is understood from context, so you simply say hinta for “the price” or “a price.”
Can I use other verbs instead of laskee, like putoaa or halpenee?
Yes. Depending on style or nuance, you could say:
- Hinta putoaa, kun alennus alkaa perjantaina. (putoaa = “drops”)
- Hinta halpenee, kun alennus alkaa perjantaina. (halpenee = “becomes cheaper”)
All convey roughly the same idea, though laskee is the most neutral choice.