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Varmaan onnistumme, jos harjoittelemme arkisin.

Varmaan onnistumme, jos harjoittelemme arkisin.
We will probably succeed if we practice on weekdays.
FromLesson 20inHardcore Finnish
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Breakdown of Varmaan onnistumme, jos harjoittelemme arkisin.

me
we
jos
if
harjoitella
to practice
arkisin
on weekdays
varmaan
probably
onnistua
to succeed
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More from this lesson

pelataOnko sinulla aikaa pelata tänään?kaveripeliMinä ja kaverini pelaamme uutta peliä illalla.arkisinPelaatko sinä arkisin vai vain viikonloppuna?pelaaminen

Questions & Answers about Varmaan onnistumme, jos harjoittelemme arkisin.

What nuance does bold Varmaan bold add, and how is it different from bold varmasti bold or bold varmaankin bold?
  • bold Varmaan bold = “probably,” a fairly soft hedge common in speech.
  • bold Varmasti bold = “certainly/for sure,” much stronger and more assertive.
  • bold Varmaankin bold ≈ “probably as well,” a slightly more tentative or polite variant of bold varmaan bold. Synonyms for “probably”: bold luultavasti bold, bold todennäköisesti bold. In this sentence bold varmaan bold marks the speaker’s assessment of likelihood.
Why is the present tense used for future meaning (bold onnistumme bold), when English uses “will”?
Finnish has no dedicated future tense. The simple present commonly expresses future time when context makes it clear. bold Varmaan onnistumme bold naturally reads as “we will probably succeed.” You can say bold Tulemme onnistumaan bold (“we’re going to succeed”) but the plain present is the default and most natural here.
Shouldn’t it be conditional (bold onnistuisimme, jos harjoittelisimme bold) rather than present?

Both are possible, but they mean different things:

  • bold Onnistumme, jos harjoittelemme bold = a realistic, concrete condition: if we do X, we (probably) will succeed.
  • bold Onnistuisimme, jos harjoittelisimme bold = a hypothetical/less certain scenario: we would succeed if we were to practice. Your sentence presents a real plan/expectation, so the present is appropriate.
Is the subject pronoun bold me bold required?

No. Finnish verb endings mark the person, so bold me bold is usually omitted. You can add it for emphasis or contrast:

  • bold Me varmaan onnistumme, jos harjoittelemme arkisin. bold (We, as opposed to others, will probably succeed…)
Why is there a comma before bold jos bold?

In Finnish, a subordinate clause is separated by a comma from the main clause. This applies whether the subordinate clause comes before or after:

  • bold Varmaan onnistumme, jos harjoittelemme arkisin. bold
  • bold Jos harjoittelemme arkisin, varmaan onnistumme. bold
Can I move bold varmaan bold elsewhere in the sentence?

Yes. Common options:

  • bold Varmaan onnistumme, jos harjoittelemme arkisin. bold (starts with the stance)
  • bold Onnistumme varmaan, jos harjoittelemme arkisin. bold (slightly more neutral flow)
  • bold Me varmaan onnistumme, jos harjoittelemme arkisin. bold (emphasis on “we”) All are fine; the nuance is about focus/emphasis, not correctness.
What’s the difference between bold jos bold, bold kun bold, and bold mikäli bold?
  • bold jos bold = “if” (neutral, most common for conditions).
  • bold kun bold = “when/whenever” for known or expected situations; using bold kun bold would change the meaning to a factual “when.”
  • bold mikäli bold = “provided that/insofar as,” more formal/literal than bold jos bold.
How is bold harjoittelemme bold formed from bold harjoitella bold?

bold Harjoitella bold is a Type 3 verb (-lla/-llä). Its present stem is bold harjoittele- bold. Add the 1st plural ending bold -mme bold:

  • bold harjoittele- + -mme → harjoittelemme bold Other forms: bold harjoittelen bold (I practice), bold harjoittelet bold (you sg), bold harjoittelevat bold (they).
Is bold harjoitella bold the right verb here? What about bold harjoittaa bold or bold treenata bold?
  • bold harjoitella bold = to practice (to improve a skill). That’s the right choice here.
  • bold harjoittaa bold = to practice/exercise (a profession/activity): bold harjoittaa lakia bold “to practice law.”
  • bold treenata bold = to train (informal, from “train”): fine in casual speech.
What exactly does bold arkisin bold mean, and how is it formed?

bold Arkisin bold = “on weekdays (habitually).” It’s built with the adverbial suffix bold -sin bold, which makes “on Xs” frequency adverbs:

  • bold maanantaisin bold (on Mondays), bold iltaisin bold (in the evenings), bold öisin bold (at night), bold viikonloppuisin bold (on weekends).
Are there alternatives to bold arkisin bold, and do they differ in nuance?

Yes:

  • bold arkipäivisin bold = on weekdays (habitual; very close to bold arkisin bold).
  • bold arkipäivinä bold = on weekdays (more neutral “on [those] days,” not inherently habitual).
  • bold arkena bold = on weekdays/in everyday life (general contrast with weekends).
  • bold viikolla bold = during the week (often contrasts with “weekend,” but not as specific as “weekdays only”).
Do I need bold niin bold after bold jos bold (like “if … then …”)?

No. bold Niin bold is optional and often omitted:

  • bold Jos harjoittelemme arkisin, (niin) varmaan onnistumme. bold Both versions are correct; bold niin bold adds a slight rhetorical link.
How would I turn this into a yes–no question?

Attach the question ending to the verb in the main clause:

  • bold Onnistummeko, jos harjoittelemme arkisin? bold You usually wouldn’t keep bold varmaan bold in a direct yes–no question.
Can I use clitics like bold -han/-hän bold or bold -kin bold here?

Yes, for tone:

  • bold Onnistummehan, jos harjoittelemme arkisin. bold (softens/asserts, “we should succeed, right?”)
  • bold Varmaankin onnistumme, jos harjoittelemme arkisin. bold (bold -kin bold makes bold varmaan bold a bit softer/hedged) These change nuance, not core meaning.