Vetoketju on rikki.

The zipper is broken.

Breakdown of Vetoketju on rikki.

• olla: to be
• rikki: broken
• vetoketju: the zipper

Questions & Answers about Vetoketju on rikki.

What does each word in Vetoketju on rikki literally mean?

The sentence breaks down like this:

• vetoketju = zipper (literally veto “pull” + ketju “chain” → “pull-chain”)
• on = is (3rd person singular of the verb olla “to be”)
• rikki = broken, out of order

So word-for-word it is “zipper is broken.”

Why is there no word for “the” or “a” before vetoketju?

Finnish does not have articles like “a/an” or “the” at all.

Vetoketju can mean:

• a zipper
• the zipper
• sometimes even zipper(s) in a very general sense

Context tells you whether it’s specific or general. So Vetoketju on rikki is understood as “The zipper is broken” if you’re clearly talking about a particular zipper (for example, on the jacket you’re holding).

Which word is the subject, and what kind of word is rikki?

• vetoketju is the subject (nominative case, “the zipper”).
• on is the verb, 3rd person singular present of olla (“to be”).
• rikki is a predicative (a complement of olla), describing the state of the subject.

In grammar terms, rikki behaves a bit like an invariable adjective/adverb of state that comes after olla. It does not change for number, gender, or case:

• Vetoketju on rikki. – The zipper is broken.
• Vetoketjut ovat rikki. – The zippers are broken.
  (Notice: rikki stays the same.)

Why is it rikki and not rikkinäinen?

Both exist, but they’re used differently:

• rikki

  • Used predicatively, after olla and similar verbs.
  • Describes a state: “broken, not working.”
  • Examples:
    
    • Televisio on rikki. – The TV is broken.
    • Vetoketju on rikki. – The zipper is broken.

• rikkinäinen

  • A more “normal” adjective, often used before a noun, like English “broken.”
  • Examples:
    
    • rikkinäinen vetoketju – a broken zipper
    • rikkinäiset housut – broken/damaged trousers

You can also say Vetoketju on rikkinäinen, and it is grammatical, but Vetoketju on rikki is more common and sounds more natural for “the zipper is broken / not working.”

How would I say “The zippers are broken” in the plural?

You need to:

1. Put vetoketju into plural: vetoketjut (“zippers”).
2. Use the plural form of olla: ovat (“are”).
3. Keep rikki unchanged.

The sentence:

• Vetoketjut ovat rikki. – The zippers are broken.

How do I say “My zipper is broken”?

Two common ways:

1. With a possessive suffix only (fairly natural and compact):

   • Vetoketjuni on rikki. – My zipper is broken.

2. With both a pronoun and a possessive suffix (more emphatic, also very common in speech):

   • Minun vetoketjuni on rikki. – My zipper is broken (mine, not someone else’s).

You can also be more specific, e.g.:

• Tämän takin vetoketju on rikki. – The zipper of this coat is broken.
• Housujen vetoketju on rikki. – The zipper of the trousers is broken.

How do I turn Vetoketju on rikki into a yes–no question: “Is the zipper broken?”

Finnish yes–no questions usually use the -ko/-kö question clitic, attached to the verb (or sometimes another word) and then move that to the front:

• Statement: Vetoketju on rikki. – The zipper is broken.
• Question: Onko vetoketju rikki? – Is the zipper broken?

Answering:

• Kyllä, se on rikki. – Yes, it is broken.
• Ei, se ei ole rikki. – No, it is not broken.

How do I say “The zipper is not broken”?

You use the special negative verb ei + the base form of olla (ole):

• Vetoketju ei ole rikki. – The zipper is not broken.

Pattern:

• Positive: Vetoketju on rikki.
• Negative: Vetoketju ei ole rikki.

For plural:

• Vetoketjut eivät ole rikki. – The zippers are not broken.

Why is vetoketju in this basic form and not vetoketjun or something else?

In Vetoketju on rikki, vetoketju is the subject, so it’s in the nominative (the dictionary form, no ending).

You get other forms in other roles, for example:

• Korjasin vetoketjun. – I fixed the zipper.
  (vetoketjun is object, genitive singular)
• Ilman vetoketjua on hankala. – It’s difficult without a zipper.
  (vetoketjua, partitive singular)

But with the basic sentence X is Y, the subject usually stays in nominative: Vetoketju on rikki.

How do I pronounce Vetoketju on rikki?

Rough guide (IPA in slashes):

• Vetoketju – /ˈʋetoˌketju/

  • Stress on the first syllable: VE-to-ket-ju.
  • v is like English v, but often softer.
  • k always hard, like in “cat.”
  • tj in ketju is pronounced together: roughly ket-yu.
  • u is like oo in “food,” but short.

• on – /on/

  • Like “on” in “on top,” but with a short o.

• rikki – /ˈrikːi/

  • Double kk means a long k sound.
  • Both i’s are like ee in “see,” but short.

Spoken fairly naturally, it’s something like: VE-to-ket-yu on RIK-ki.

Are there other words like rikki for different kinds of “broken” in Finnish?

Yes, Finnish has several words for different “broken” situations:

• rikki – broken, out of order (general, not functioning)

  • Vetoketju on rikki. – The zipper is broken.
  • Puhelin on rikki. – The phone is broken.

• jumissa – stuck, jammed, not moving

  • Vetoketju on jumissa. – The zipper is stuck.
    (Good if the zipper just won’t move, not necessarily physically broken.)

• poikki / katki – snapped, cut, severed

  • Johto on poikki. – The cable is snapped.
  • Used less naturally with a zipper unless it’s literally torn apart.

In everyday speech about zippers:

• Vetoketju on rikki. – usually means it doesn’t work properly.
• Vetoketju on jumissa. – usually means it’s stuck, not sliding.