Tarkistan, että kaikki varusteet ovat repussa ennen matkaa.

to be

Breakdown of Tarkistan, että kaikki varusteet ovat repussa ennen matkaa.

• -ssa: in
• ennen: before
• kaikki: all

Questions & Answers about Tarkistan, että kaikki varusteet ovat repussa ennen matkaa.

Why is there a comma before että?

In Finnish, you normally put a comma before että when it starts a subordinate clause.

• Tarkistan, että kaikki varusteet ovat repussa...
  = Main clause: Tarkistan
  = Subordinate clause: että kaikki varusteet ovat repussa ennen matkaa

This että‑clause works like the object of tarkistan (“I check / I make sure that…”), and Finnish punctuation rules say you separate such subordinate clauses from the main clause with a comma.

So:

• Comma before että → standard written Finnish.
• In casual text people sometimes skip commas, but in correct written Finnish it belongs there.

What exactly does tarkistan mean, and what form is it?

Tarkistan comes from the verb tarkistaa = “to check, to inspect, to verify”.

Form:

• Person: 1st person singular (“I”)
• Tense: present (used also for future)
• Mood: indicative
• Stem: tarkista-
  • personal ending -n → tarkistan.

It can translate as:

• “I check”
• “I will check”
• “I make sure / I verify”

Finnish often uses the present tense where English would use a future:

• Tarkistan ... ennen matkaa.
  = “I will check ... before the trip.”