Breakdown of Se on myös hyvää liikuntaa, joka parantaa kuntoa.
olla
to be
myös
also
se
it
hyvä
good
joka
that
liikunta
the exercise
parantaa
to improve
kunto
the fitness
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Questions & Answers about Se on myös hyvää liikuntaa, joka parantaa kuntoa.
What does myös mean and why is it placed after on?
myös means “also” or “too.” In Finnish the adverb often follows the verb, so se on myös hyvää liikuntaa reads literally “it is also good exercise.”
Why are hyvää and liikuntaa in the partitive case instead of nominative?
Because we’re talking about an indefinite amount of a mass noun (“good exercise”), Finnish uses the partitive.
- The partitive singular of hyvä is hyvää
- The partitive singular of liikunta is liikuntaa
What is the function of joka in this sentence? Why not mikä?
joka is a relative pronoun referring back to liikuntaa (a specific noun). It introduces the clause joka parantaa kuntoa (“which improves fitness”). You would use mikä only if you were referring to a whole preceding clause or to the pronoun se, not to a specific noun.
Why is there a comma before joka?
In Finnish punctuation you separate a relative clause from the main clause with a comma, just like in English. The comma marks the start of joka parantaa kuntoa, which adds information about liikuntaa.
Why is kuntoa also in the partitive case?
Verbs like parantaa (“to improve”) take a partitive object when you speak about improving an aspect or amount of something. Here kuntoa (partitive of kunto) means “fitness” in an indefinite or general sense.
Can you break down the literal translation of the sentence word by word?
- Se = it
- on = is
- myös = also
- hyvää = good (partitive)
- liikuntaa = exercise (partitive)
- , = comma
- joka = which
- parantaa = improves
- kuntoa = fitness (partitive)
Put together: “It is also good exercise, which improves fitness.”
Why is there no article like “a” or “the” before “good exercise”?
Finnish has no articles. Definiteness or indefiniteness is shown by context or by case. Here the partitive liikuntaa expresses an indefinite amount of exercise (“good exercise” in general).
What’s the difference between liikunta and liikkuminen?
Both derive from liikkua (“to move”):
- liikunta = “exercise” or “physical activity” (a planned or organized activity)
- liikkuminen = “moving,” the general act of moving
In this sentence liikuntaa is used because we refer to exercise that improves fitness.