Breakdown of Kylpyhuone on pieni mutta siisti.
olla
to be
pieni
small
mutta
but
siisti
tidy
kylpyhuone
the bathroom
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Questions & Answers about Kylpyhuone on pieni mutta siisti.
What does kylpyhuone mean?
kylpyhuone literally translates to “bathroom.” It refers to the room in a home or apartment where you have a bath or shower (not just a toilet).
Why is there no article (like “the” or “a”) before kylpyhuone?
Finnish has no definite or indefinite articles. Whether something is “the,” “a,” or “some” is understood from context, not from a separate word.
What case is kylpyhuone in, and why doesn’t it change form here?
It’s in the nominative singular, the base form of the noun used for subjects. Since it’s simply the subject of the sentence, no additional ending is needed.
Why are the adjectives pieni and siisti not inflected further?
Adjectives in Finnish agree in case and number with the noun they describe. Here, both pieni and siisti are describing a singular nominative noun, so they remain in the nominative singular (their “base” form).
What does mutta mean and how is it used?
mutta means but. It’s a coordinating conjunction used to show contrast between two ideas, e.g. “small but tidy.”
Can the adjectives pieni and siisti be switched—like “Kylpyhuone on siisti mutta pieni”? Does that change the meaning?
Yes, you can reverse them:
“Kylpyhuone on siisti mutta pieni.”
The basic meaning stays the same, but you shift the emphasis. Placing siisti first highlights tidiness more strongly before mentioning size.
How is siisti different from puhdas?
- siisti = tidy, neat, orderly (implies everything is in its place)
- puhdas = clean (emphasizes absence of dirt)
You could say “pieni mutta puhdas” if you want to stress cleanliness rather than overall tidiness.
Are there any informal or shorter words for kylpyhuone?
Colloquially some Finns say kylppäri (slang) or simply wc/vessa if they mean just a toilet. But kylpyhuone is the standard word for a full bathroom.
Why do we use on in this sentence? Can it ever be omitted?
on is the 3rd person singular of olla (“to be”) and is required to form a complete present-tense statement. In everyday speech you might drop it in very casual fragments (e.g. on a sign: “Kylpyhuone — pieni mutta siisti”), but in normal sentences you always include on.
Could we use ja instead of mutta, as in “Kylpyhuone on pieni ja siisti”? What’s the difference?
Yes, you can:
“Kylpyhuone on pieni ja siisti.”
Here ja means and—you’re simply listing two qualities without implying any contrast. Using mutta (“but”) signals that you’re acknowledging a potential downside (small) followed by a positive (tidy).