Learn Hardcore Finnish: Pölynimuri on rikki, joten siivoaminen kestää kauemmin. - The vacuum cleaner is broken, so cleaning takes longer.

It’s a compound: pöly (dust) + imuri (suction device) → pölynimuri. The linking -n- comes from the genitive of pöly (pölyn), a common way to form compounds in Finnish. Similar patterns: kahvinkeitin (coffee maker), astianpesukone (dishwasher).

Why is it on rikki instead of just rikki or rikkinäinen?

olla rikki means “to be broken/out of order.” You need the verb olla (to be): Pölynimuri on rikki.
rikki is invariable and used predicatively with olla. You don’t use it directly before a noun.
rikkinäinen is an adjective meaning “broken/defective,” used attributively: rikkinäinen pölynimuri.
Related verbs:
- mennä rikki / rikki menee = to break (become broken)
- rikkoutua = to break (intransitive, more formal)
- rikkoa = to break something (transitive)
- Alternatives for the state: on hajalla, on epäkunnossa (out of order).

What role does joten play, and is the comma before it required?

joten is a coordinating conjunction meaning “so/therefore,” introducing a result.
In Finnish, a comma is typically used before coordinating conjunctions that link two independent clauses, including joten. Hence: ..., joten ...
Compare: With koska (“because”), you also use a comma: ..., koska ...

How is joten different from koska, siksi, and jotta?

joten = so/therefore (result): cause first, result after. Example pattern: X, joten Y.
koska = because (reason): result first, reason after. Y, koska X.
siksi/siispä/niinpä = therefore/so (adverbs starting a new clause): X. Siksi Y.
jotta = so that/in order that (purpose): Teen X, jotta Y tapahtuu. Don’t use jotta for plain cause-result.

What exactly is siivoaminen, and how is it formed?

siivoaminen is a verbal noun (action noun, often called the -minen form) built from the verb siivota (to clean).
Formation: take the verb stem (siivoa-) + minen → siivoaminen (“the act/process of cleaning”).
It behaves like a noun and can be the subject, object, etc. Here it’s the subject.

Could I say siivous instead of siivoaminen?

Often yes:

siivoaminen emphasizes the ongoing activity/process of cleaning.
siivous is more the event/task of cleaning (a bit more compact/nominal). In this sentence, Siivous kestää kauemmin is also natural. Nuance is small and context-dependent.

Why is siivoaminen followed by kestää in 3rd person singular?

Because siivoaminen is a singular noun functioning as the subject. So you use 3rd person singular: siivoaminen kestää .... If you personalize it: Minun siivoamiseni kestää ... (“my cleaning takes ...”).

Could I use the bare infinitive siivota as the subject (e.g., Siivota kestää kauemmin)?

No. Finnish typically uses the -minen noun for subject roles like this: Siivoaminen kestää .... The bare infinitive siivota is fine after certain verbs/adjectives (e.g., On kiva siivota), but not as the subject of kestää here.

What does kestää cover, and how do I use it with time?

kestää = to last, to take (time), to endure/tolerate.
With time: Se kestää kaksi tuntia (“It takes/lasts two hours”), Kesti kauan (“It took a long time”).
As “tolerate”: En kestä tätä meteliä (“I can’t stand this noise”).
In your sentence, it’s the “take/last” meaning.

Why is it kauemmin and not kauan?

kauan = for a long time.
kauemmin = longer (comparative).
kauimmin = the longest (superlative). So with a comparison (“longer”), you need kauemmin.

Is pidempään an acceptable alternative to kauemmin?

Yes. pitkään = for a long time; pidempään/pitempään = longer. Both pidempään and pitempään are accepted variants. Your sentence could be: ... siivoaminen kestää pidempään. Nuance difference from kauemmin is minimal.

How else could I express “takes longer (time)”?

Common alternatives:

Se vie enemmän aikaa.
Siivoamiseen kuluu enemmän aikaa.
Colloquial: Siivotessa menee kauemmin (aikaa).

Could I flip the clauses and use koska instead?

Yes, then you state the result first and the reason after: Siivoaminen kestää kauemmin, koska pölynimuri on rikki. Meaning stays the same, but the logical connector changes from result (joten) to reason (koska).

Any pronunciation tips for tricky vowels here?

pöly and the y in imuri are front vowels: rounded sounds somewhat like French u or German ü (for y) and German ö (for ö).
Stress the first syllable of each word: PÖ-lyn-i-mu-ri; JO-ten; sii-VOA-mi-nen; kes-TÄÄ; KAU-em-min.

Does vowel harmony affect case endings with a compound like pölynimuri?

Yes; suffix harmony is determined by the last element of the compound (imuri, which has a back vowel u). So you get back-vowel endings: pölynimuria (partitive sg), not pölynimuriä.

What are some useful case/number forms of pölynimuri?

Nominative sg: pölynimuri
Partitive sg: pölynimuria
Nominative pl: pölynimurit
Partitive pl: pölynimureja / pölynimureita (both used)
Genitive pl: pölynimurien / pölynimureiden (both used) Colloquially, people also just say imuri for “vacuum (cleaner).”