Learn Hardcore Finnish: Myyjä kertoo, että alennettu hinta näkyy kassalla. - The salesperson says that the reduced price is shown at the checkout.

että is a conjunction that introduces a subordinate clause, equivalent to English “that.” It links Myyjä kertoo (“The salesperson says”) to the information being reported.

Why does näkyy appear at the end of the clause että alennettu hinta näkyy kassalla?

In Finnish subordinate clauses introduced by että, the finite verb moves to the end. So you have subject (alennettu hinta), any objects or adverbials (none here), and then the verb (näkyy).

What is alennettu? Is it a verb or an adjective here?

alennettu is the past passive participle of alennattaa (“to reduce”). In this sentence it functions as an adjective modifying hinta (“price”), meaning “reduced.”

Why is kassalla used here? What does its case tell us?

kassalla is in the adessive case (ending -lla), which expresses location “at” or “on.” Here it means “at the checkout.”

Why are there no articles before alennettu hinta?

Finnish has no definite or indefinite articles (no “the” or “a”). Nouns stand alone, and context tells you whether they’re specific or general.

Could you omit että and still express the same idea?

Yes. You can use a nominalized structure:
Myyjä kertoo alennetun hinnan näkyvän kassalla.
Here alennetun hinnan nä ky vän is in the “object + verb‐stem+va” form, so että isn’t needed.

What’s the difference between kertoa and sanoa when reporting speech?

Both can introduce indirect speech, but kertoa often implies informing or relating details, while sanoa simply means “to say.” In a store context, myyjä kertoo emphasizes that the salesperson is giving you information.

Why is there a comma before että?

Finnish orthography recommends a comma before subordinate clauses introduced by että, though in casual writing it’s sometimes omitted. It helps clarify the main clause vs. the reported clause.