Learn Hardcore Finnish: Vihdoin kaikki laatikot on purettu, ja asunto tuntuu kodilta. - Finally all the boxes are unpacked, and the apartment feels like a home.

Why is kaikki laatikot followed by on purettu (third-person singular passive) rather than ovat purettu (third-person plural perfect passive)?

In Finnish, you often use the impersonal passive (singular) when the doer isn’t specified or important:

on purettu = “have been unpacked” (perfect passive)
The agent (“we,” “you,” etc.) is left out.
If you do want to name the agent, switch to the active perfect:
(Me) olemme purkaneet kaikki laatikot – “we have unpacked all the boxes.”

What’s the difference between on purettu (passive perfect) and an active form like olemme purkaneet?

• Passive perfect (on purettu) focuses on the result (“the boxes are unpacked”) without saying who did it.
• Active perfect (olemme purkaneet) explicitly names the subject (“we have unpacked”).
Use passive when the actor is general or unimportant; use active when you want to highlight who performed the action.

How is the past participle purettu formed from purkaa?

purkaa is a Type I verb. To form its past participle (used in perfect tenses and passive):
1) Take the strong stem: pure-
2) Add -ttu → purettu
Hence on purettu = “has been unpacked.”

What does vihdoin mean, and can it be placed elsewhere in the sentence?

vihdoin means “finally.” It’s an adverb of time. You can move it freely for emphasis:

Vihdoin kaikki laatikot on purettu. (Emphasis on “finally.”)
Kaikki laatikot on vihdoin purettu. (Emphasis on “all the boxes.”)
Both mean “At last, all the boxes are unpacked.”

What’s the difference between vihdoin and lopulta?

Both translate as “finally,” but subtle differences:

vihdoin is neutral, simply “at long last.”
lopulta can hint that something was complicated or difficult before it happened.
In many contexts they’re interchangeable.

What does the verb tuntua mean, and how is it different from tuntea?

• tuntua (intransitive): “to feel” in the sense of “to give an impression.”
– Asunto tuntuu kodilta. = “The apartment feels like home.”
• tuntea (transitive): “to feel” (emotions) or “to know” a person/thing.
– Minä tunnen iloa. = “I feel joy.”
– Tunnetko hänet? = “Do you know him/her?”

Why is kodilta in the essive case (-lta)?

After tuntua, the complement that expresses the perceived state uses the essive case (“as / like ”).

kodilta = “like a home.”
Other example:
Se tuntuu helpolta. (“That feels easy,” where helpolta is essive of helppo.)

What is the grammatical role of asunto in asunto tuntuu kodilta?

asunto (“the apartment”) is the subject of the intransitive verb tuntua, so it stays in the nominative case. It’s what “feels” in the sentence.

Why is there a comma before ja in the sentence? Is it required?

Finnish punctuation around ja (“and”) is flexible. The comma:

Helps separate two independent clauses for clarity.
Is optional here.
Examples:
Vihdoin kaikki laatikot on purettu, ja asunto tuntuu kodilta. (with comma)
Vihdoin kaikki laatikot on purettu ja asunto tuntuu kodilta. (without comma)
Both are correct; choose based on rhythm and clarity.