Learn Hardcore Finnish: Apteekin työntekijä kysyi, onko minulla voimassa oleva vakuutus. - The pharmacy worker asked whether I have a valid insurance.

Apteekin is the genitive singular of apteekki (pharmacy). In Finnish, when one noun describes or belongs to another, the first noun takes the genitive case. So Apteekin työntekijä literally means “the pharmacy’s worker,” i.e. pharmacy employee.

What does työntekijä mean?

työntekijä means employee or worker.

Why are there no articles like “the” or “a” in front of Apteekin työntekijä?

Finnish does not have definite or indefinite articles. Nouns stand alone; context tells you whether something is specific (the pharmacy employee) or general (a pharmacy employee).

What is kysyi and why is it in the past tense while the embedded question uses the present?

kysyi is the past tense form of kysyä (to ask). Finnish generally does not shift tenses in reported speech, so even though the reporting verb is past, the embedded question retains its original present tense form onko.

What is onko, and how does it form a yes-no question?

onko is the present-tense interrogative form of olla (to be), created by adding the question particle -ko to the verb. In this sentence onko functions like “do … have” or “is …?”

Why is minulla used in onko minulla, instead of minun?

minulla is the adessive case of minä (I). Finnish expresses possession with adessive plus olla, so minulla on means “I have.” In a question it becomes onko minulla …? = “do I have …?”

What case is vakuutus in voimassa oleva vakuutus, and why?

Here vakuutus (insurance) is in the nominative singular. In a yes-no question of the form onko X Y, the thing possessed (Y) stays in the nominative.

What does voimassa oleva mean and why is it two words rather than a single adjective?

voimassa means “in force” or “valid,” and oleva is the present participle of olla (being). Together they form an adjectival phrase meaning “valid.” Finnish often uses such participle constructions instead of standalone adjectives for meanings like “valid.”

Why is there no question mark at the end of the whole sentence?

This is an indirect (reported) question. In Finnish, reported yes-no questions use the interrogative verb form (onko) but are punctuated as statements, so no question mark is added.

How would you convert this indirect question back into the original direct question?

In direct speech the employee would have said:
Onko sinulla voimassa oleva vakuutus?
(“Do you have a valid insurance?”)

Why did sinulla change to minulla in the report?

When you report someone asking you something, pronouns shift to your perspective. The pharmacy employee’s direct question used sinulla (you have), but in the report it turns into minulla (I have).

Why is the embedded question introduced by kysyi, onko rather than että and a normal word order?

Finnish embeds yes-no questions by placing the interrogative clitic -ko on the verb and keeping a verb-first word order (V-S-O). You don’t use että (“that”) for questions—that is reserved for embedding statements.