Varmaan onnistumme, jos harjoittelemme arkisin.

Varmaan usually means probably here.

So Varmaan onnistumme... means something like We’ll probably succeed...

A few nuances:

• varmaan can sometimes also feel like surely or I’m pretty sure
• in everyday speech, it often expresses a confident guess rather than absolute certainty
• it is a bit softer than saying something completely definite

In this sentence, probably is the most natural English match.

Because Finnish verbs already show the subject.

The ending -mme means we.

• onnistumme = we succeed / we will succeed
• harjoittelemme = we practice

So a separate me is not necessary.

You can add me for emphasis, but normally it is omitted:

• (Me) onnistumme, jos harjoittelemme.

That is very common in Finnish: the verb ending often tells you who is doing the action.

Onnistumme is the 1st person plural present tense form of onnistua.

Breakdown:

• dictionary form: onnistua = to succeed
• stem used here: onnistu-
• personal ending: -mme = we

So:

• onnistun = I succeed
• onnistut = you succeed
• onnistuu = he/she/it succeeds
• onnistumme = we succeed
• onnistutte = you plural succeed
• onnistuvat = they succeed

In this sentence, it can mean either we succeed or we will succeed, depending on context.

Finnish normally uses the present tense for both present and future meaning.

So:

• onnistumme can mean we succeed
• but in context it often means we will succeed

Finnish does not have a separate future tense like English does.

That is why a sentence about the future can still use present-tense forms:

• Varmaan onnistumme, jos harjoittelemme arkisin.
• literally: Probably we succeed, if we practice on weekdays
• natural English: We’ll probably succeed if we practice on weekdays

The time is understood from the situation, not from a special future verb form.

Harjoittelemme is the 1st person plural present tense of harjoitella.

• dictionary form: harjoitella = to practice
• harjoittelemme = we practice / we will practice

Again, the ending -mme shows we.

You may notice that the verb changes shape a little from the dictionary form:

• harjoitella
• harjoittele-
  • -mme
• harjoittelemme

That kind of stem change is normal in Finnish verb conjugation.

Jos means if.

It introduces a condition:

• jos harjoittelemme arkisin = if we practice on weekdays

So the whole sentence means:

• We’ll probably succeed if we practice on weekdays.

This is a normal real condition: something is possible and realistic.

Finnish uses jos very much like English if.

Because this sentence talks about a real or likely condition, not a hypothetical one.

• Varmaan onnistumme, jos harjoittelemme arkisin. = We’ll probably succeed if we practice on weekdays.

This means the speaker thinks this is a realistic possibility.

If the sentence were more hypothetical, Finnish would often use the conditional:

• Varmaan onnistuisimme, jos harjoittelisimme arkisin. = We would probably succeed if we practiced on weekdays.

So the original sentence is more direct and more realistic: this can really happen.

Arkisin means on weekdays or during the working week.

It comes from arki, which refers to:

• everyday life
• ordinary weekdays
• non-holiday, non-weekend time

So:

• arkisin = on weekdays
• contrast: viikonloppuisin = on weekends

In this sentence:

• jos harjoittelemme arkisin
• if we practice on weekdays

It refers to a habitual time pattern, not just one single weekday.

Arkisin is an adverbial form meaning on weekdays / during weekdays repeatedly.

For a learner, the most important thing is to recognize it as a time expression.

You do not need to think of it as a basic noun form here. It functions more like an adverb:

• arkisin = on weekdays
• compare English adverbial time expressions like daily, on Mondays, at night

Finnish has several time-related forms like this, and they are very common in everyday language.

Finnish word order is fairly flexible, and putting varmaan first gives it a natural sentence-level emphasis.

• Varmaan onnistumme, jos harjoittelemme arkisin.
• Onnistumme varmaan, jos harjoittelemme arkisin.

Both are possible.

The version with varmaan first can sound like:

• Probably, we’ll succeed if...
• it frames the whole statement from the start

So the position of varmaan affects emphasis more than basic meaning.

Yes.

You can also say:

• Jos harjoittelemme arkisin, varmaan onnistumme.

That means the same thing: If we practice on weekdays, we’ll probably succeed.

Finnish allows this kind of clause order change quite naturally.

The difference is mostly about information flow:

• Varmaan onnistumme, jos harjoittelemme arkisin.
  • starts with the main idea: we’ll probably succeed
• Jos harjoittelemme arkisin, varmaan onnistumme.
  • starts with the condition: if we practice on weekdays

Not exactly, though they are close.

• varmaan often means probably / I’m pretty sure
• varmasti often means certainly / definitely / for sure

So:

• Varmaan onnistumme = We’ll probably succeed
• Varmasti onnistumme = We’ll definitely succeed

In everyday speech, the boundary is not always perfectly strict, but varmasti is usually stronger and more certain.

Yes, in a purely literal grammatical sense, Finnish present tense can refer to present or future.

But in this sentence, the most natural interpretation is future:

• If we practice on weekdays, we’ll probably succeed.

That is because the sentence describes a condition and an expected result.

So even though the verb form is present, the meaning in context is future-oriented.