Breakdown of Pakastin on tyhjä, joten minun täytyy mennä kauppaan.
olla
to be
minun
my
mennä
to go
kauppa
the store
joten
so
täytyä
to have to
tyhjä
empty
pakastin
the freezer
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Questions & Answers about Pakastin on tyhjä, joten minun täytyy mennä kauppaan.
What is the role of on in the phrase Pakastin on tyhjä?
In Finnish, on is the 3rd person singular present form of the verb olla (to be). It functions as a linking verb, connecting the subject pakastin (freezer) with the adjective tyhjä (empty), so the clause literally means “the freezer is empty.”
What part of speech is tyhjä, and why does it appear without an ending?
tyhjä is an adjective in the nominative singular form. Adjectives in Finnish agree in number and case with the nouns they describe. Since pakastin is singular nominative, tyhjä stays in its base (nominative) form—no extra ending is needed.
What function does joten serve in the sentence?
joten is a coordinating conjunction meaning “so” or “therefore.” It links the first clause (the freezer is empty) with the second clause, indicating that going to the store is a direct consequence.
Why is there a comma before joten?
When two independent clauses are joined by a conjunction like joten, Finnish orthography calls for a comma before the conjunction, just as in English.
How does minun täytyy translate, and why is the pronoun in the genitive case?
minun täytyy literally means “it is necessary for me,” and idiomatically “I have to.” The verb täytyy is impersonal—it cannot take a normal nominative subject. Instead, the person who must do something is marked by a genitive pronoun (minun = “of me”).
Why is there no nominative subject like minä before täytyy mennä?
Since täytyy is an impersonal modal verb, it never uses a nominative subject. The necessity is expressed by the genitive pronoun (minun), so adding minä would be ungrammatical or redundant.
What case is kauppaan, and why is it used instead of kaupassa?
kauppaan is the illative case, indicating movement into something (“into the store”). kaupassa (the inessive case) would mean “in the store” (static location). Because the sentence describes going to the store (movement), the illative -an ending is required.
Why does kauppa become kauppaan with a doubled “a”?
One way to form the illative singular for many Finnish nouns ending in -a/-ä is to double the final vowel and add n. Thus kauppa → kauppaan, showing “into the store.”
Could you use minun pitää mennä kauppaan instead of minun täytyy mennä kauppaan, and is there a difference?
Yes. minun pitää mennä kauppaan (“I have to go to the store”) is equally correct. pitää and täytyy both function as modal verbs expressing necessity. pitää is somewhat more colloquial, while täytyy can feel a bit more formal or emphatic.
Why is mennä in its basic infinitive form here?
After modal verbs like täytyy or pitää, Finnish uses the first/basic infinitive of the main verb. So mennä remains in its dictionary form to express the action that must be done.
Can you omit minun and simply say täytyy mennä kauppaan?
Yes—in everyday spoken Finnish it’s common to drop the genitive pronoun and say täytyy mennä kauppaan (“gotta go to the store”). It’s informal but perfectly understood.