Learn Hardcore Finnish: Apteekki on lähellä, joten tarvikkeet saa nopeasti. - The pharmacy is close, so the supplies are obtained quickly.

Finnish does not have articles like the or a. Nouns stand alone, and context tells you whether they’re definite or indefinite. Here Apteekki simply means “pharmacy,” understood as “the pharmacy” from the situation.

What does joten mean and how is it used here?

joten is a coordinating conjunction meaning so or therefore. It links two main clauses: “Apteekki on lähellä” (the pharmacy is nearby) and “tarvikkeet saa nopeasti” (you can get supplies quickly), showing cause and effect.

What part of speech is lähellä, and why is it not inflected?

Here lähellä functions as an indeclinable adverb meaning nearby. Although it looks like a case form, it’s treated as an adverb derived from the adjective lähellä and does not change for case, number, or gender.

Why is tarvikkeet in the nominative plural instead of the partitive?

In the impersonal construction tarvikkeet saa (“one can get supplies”), the object stays in the nominative because the verb saa is used impersonally (no explicit subject). You’d use the partitive only if you were expressing partial or ongoing action, or if you used a passive form like tarvikkeita voidaan saada.

Who is the subject of saa in tarvikkeet saa nopeasti?

There is no explicit subject: Finnish often uses an impersonal third-person verb form to mean “you/one/people in general.” So saa here means “one gets” or “you can get” (supplies).

Could you rephrase tarvikkeet saa nopeasti using voi (can)?

Yes. A common alternative is tarvikkeita voi saada nopeasti, where voi = “can,” saada = “to get,” and tarvikkeita is in the partitive because impersonal voi saada treats the object as indefinite.

How is the adverb nopeasti formed from the adjective nopea?

Finnish builds many adverbs of manner by adding -sti to the adjective stem. So nopea (“quick”) → nopea- + -sti = nopeasti (“quickly”). Vowel harmony determines a in -sti here.

Is the comma before joten necessary?

Yes, when joten connects two independent clauses, you normally place a comma before it, much like in English “…, so …”. Omitting it can make the sentence harder to parse.

Could the clauses be inverted? For example, could you say Tarvikkeet saa nopeasti, koska apteekki on lähellä?

Absolutely. Finnish word order is flexible. You could also use koska (“because”) instead of joten (“so/therefore”). Both versions convey the same idea but shift emphasis slightly.

What’s the difference between joten, niin että, and siis when linking clauses?

joten is a straightforward conjunction meaning “so/therefore,” common in written and spoken Finnish.
niin että often appears in spoken Finnish: “Apteekki on lähellä, niin että tarvikkeet saa nopeasti.”
siis is a discourse particle meaning “thus” or “therefore,” but it doesn’t directly link clauses in the same way; it’s more of a transition word.