Työnhakija odottaa vastausta.

The job seeker is waiting for an answer.

Breakdown of Työnhakija odottaa vastausta.

• odottaa: to wait for
• vastaus: the answer
• työnhakija: the job seeker

Questions & Answers about Työnhakija odottaa vastausta.

Why is vastausta used instead of vastaus?

Vastausta is the partitive singular form of vastaus (“answer”).

The verb odottaa (“to wait for”) almost always takes its object in the partitive case, not in the basic nominative form. So:

• vastaus = nominative (dictionary form)
• vastausta = partitive singular

In Finnish, many verbs govern the partitive, including verbs of:

• waiting (odottaa vastausta – to wait for an answer)
• wanting (haluan kahvia – I want coffee)
• needing (tarvitsen apua – I need help)
• lacking (minulta puuttuu rahaa – I lack money)

So it’s not optional style here: with odottaa, the correct object form is partitive: vastausta.

What case is vastausta, exactly, and how is it formed?

Vastausta is partitive singular of vastaus.

Formation:

• Base word: vastaus
• Stem: vastaus-
• Add partitive singular ending: -ta (because the word ends in a consonant and uses back vowels a/o/u)

So: vastaus → vastaus + ta → vastausta.

Function in the sentence: it’s the object of the verb odottaa.

Why does odottaa look the same as the dictionary (infinitive) form? How do I know it’s “waits / is waiting” and not just “to wait”?

The verb odottaa is a bit special because:

• its basic infinitive is odottaa
• its 3rd person singular present (he/she/it waits) is also odottaa

So the form is identical, but you know it’s a finite verb (not an infinitive) from the sentence structure:

• Työnhakija odottaa vastausta.
  
  • Subject: Työnhakija (job applicant, nominative)
  • Verb: odottaa (3rd person singular present)
  • Object: vastausta (partitive)

If you wanted the infinitive “to wait (for) an answer”, you’d normally see it after another verb, e.g.:

• Haluan odottaa vastausta. – I want to wait for an answer.

There the main verb is haluan (I want) and odottaa is clearly the infinitive.

Why doesn’t Finnish say “is waiting”? Why just odottaa for “waits / is waiting”?

Finnish has no separate continuous tense like English “is waiting / was waiting”.

The simple present in Finnish covers:

• He waits for an answer.
• He is waiting for an answer.

Both are translated as:

• Työnhakija odottaa vastausta.

If you want to emphasize the “right now” feeling, you use adverbs, context, or word order, for example:

• Työnhakija odottaa nyt vastausta. – The job applicant is now waiting for an answer. But the verb form odottaa itself doesn’t change.

What does Työnhakija literally mean and how is it formed?

Työnhakija is a compound noun made of:

• työ = work, job
• työn = genitive form of työ (“of work / of a job”)
• hakija = seeker, applicant (from the verb hakea – to seek, to apply)

So literally: työn + hakija → “seeker of work”, i.e. job seeker / job applicant.

In Finnish, it’s very common to use:

• [genitive noun] + [head noun]
  to form compounds:
  • auton ovi → “door of the car” (not a compound, just a phrase)
  • autonov i (less common, more technical compound)
  • koiranruoka = dog food (literally “dog’s food”)
  • työnhakija = job seeker

Why does työ become työn in Työnhakija?

Työn is the genitive form of työ.

Patterns:

• nominative: työ (work, job)
• genitive: työn (of work / of a job)

In compounds, Finnish often uses:

• genitive form + another noun

So:

• työ → työn
• työ + hakija → työ hakija (ungrammatical as a compound)
• työn + hakija → työnhakija (correct, one word)

This genitive link is a natural way to show “X of Y” relationships inside a single compound word.

Why is there no word for “the” or “a” in this sentence?

Finnish has no articles (no equivalent of English the, a, or an).

So:

• Työnhakija odottaa vastausta.

  can mean depending on context:

• A job applicant is waiting for an answer.
• The job applicant is waiting for an answer.

Definiteness (a/the) is understood from context, word order, or additional words:

• Eräs työnhakija odottaa vastausta. – A certain/some job applicant is waiting for an answer.
• Se työnhakija odottaa vastausta. – That (specific) job applicant is waiting for an answer.

But normally, just Työnhakija odottaa vastausta is enough; context tells you whether it’s “a” or “the”.

Could I say just Hakija odottaa vastausta? What would be the difference?

Yes, you can say:

• Hakija odottaa vastausta.

This means simply “The applicant is waiting for an answer.” It’s more general: hakija can be:

• a job applicant
• a school applicant
• a grant applicant
• any kind of applicant

Työnhakija is more specific:

• Työnhakija = job applicant / job seeker
  So:
• Työnhakija odottaa vastausta. – The job applicant is waiting for an answer.
• Hakija odottaa vastausta. – The applicant (type unspecified) is waiting for an answer.

Which one to use depends on how specific you want to be.

What is the basic (dictionary) form of työnhakija and vastausta?

The dictionary forms (nominative singular) are:

• työnhakija → its dictionary form is työnhakija (it’s already nominative singular)
• vastausta → its dictionary form is vastaus

So if you were to look these up in a dictionary, you’d search:

• työnhakija
• vastaus

How would this sentence look in the past tense: “The job applicant waited for an answer”?

You only change the verb to past tense; the cases stay the same:

• Työnhakija odotti vastausta.
  • odotti = past tense, 3rd person singular of odottaa

So:

• present: Työnhakija odottaa vastausta. – The job applicant waits / is waiting for an answer.
• past: Työnhakija odotti vastausta. – The job applicant waited for an answer.

How would I say “The job applicants are waiting for answers” (plural)?

You make both subject and object plural:

• Työnhakijat odottavat vastauksia.

Breakdown:

• Työnhakijat = job applicants (nominative plural)
  • singular: työnhakija
  • plural: työnhakijat
• odottavat = they wait / they are waiting
  • singular: odottaa (he/she waits)
  • plural: odottavat (they wait)
• vastauksia = answers (partitive plural of vastaus)
  • singular partitive: vastausta
  • plural partitive: vastauksia

The verb must agree in number with the subject (singular vs plural).

Can the word order change, for example Vastausta odottaa työnhakija? Does that change the meaning?

Yes, Finnish word order is more flexible than English.

• Neutral, most common:

  • Työnhakija odottaa vastausta.
    • neutral emphasis: “The job applicant is waiting for an answer.”

• Alternative word order:

  • Vastausta odottaa työnhakija.
    • literally: “For an answer is waiting the job applicant.”
    • Emphasis slightly shifts toward vastausta (the answer) or contrasts who is waiting.

The basic meaning (who is doing what to whom) stays the same because:

• työnhakija is nominative → subject
• vastausta is partitive → object

But the focus or emphasis can change with word order. The original sentence is the most neutral and textbook-like.