Minä haluan olla asemalla ajoissa.

I want to be at the station on time.

Breakdown of Minä haluan olla asemalla ajoissa.

• minä: I
• olla: to be
• haluta: to want
• asema: the station
• -lla: at
• ajoissa: in time

Questions & Answers about Minä haluan olla asemalla ajoissa.

Why is Minä written here? I’ve heard that Finnish often drops the pronoun.

In Finnish, the personal pronoun is usually optional because the verb ending already shows the person.

• Minä haluan olla asemalla ajoissa. = Haluan olla asemalla ajoissa.
  Both mean I want to be at the station on time.

Minä is used:

• for emphasis (e.g. I want to be there on time, not someone else),
• in careful or very clear speech (textbooks, beginners’ dialogues, formal writing).

In everyday spoken Finnish, people would more often just say Haluan olla asemalla ajoissa.

Why is haluan conjugated but olla is not?

Haluan is the main verb; olla is an infinitive (the basic dictionary form) used as its complement.

• Dictionary form: haluta = to want
• 1st person singular: haluan = I want
• Dictionary form: olla = to be (infinitive, not conjugated)

Structure:

• Minä haluan = I want
• olla asemalla ajoissa = to be at the station on time (what you want)

Finnish often has conjugated verb + infinitive, for example:

• Haluan syödä. = I want to eat.
• Alan opiskella. = I start to study.

What is the dictionary form of haluan, and how is it formed?

The dictionary form is haluta (to want).

Conjugation (present tense, active):

• minä haluan – I want
• sinä haluat – you want (singular)
• hän haluaa – he/she wants
• me haluamme – we want
• te haluatte – you want (plural/formal)
• he haluavat – they want

So haluan is haluta with the 1st person singular ending -n.

Why is it asemalla and not something like asema or asemassa?

Asemalla is the adessive case, which often means at (on or at a place).

• Base word (nominative): asema = station
• asemalla = at the station (in the station area / at that location)

Roughly:

• asemalla (adessive) – at the station (often more general: at/around the station)
• asemassa (inessive) – in the station (inside the building)

In everyday language, asemalla is the normal way to say at the station when talking about being there to catch a train, meet someone, etc.

What exactly is the meaning and form of asemalla?

Asemalla = asema + -lla

• asema – station (nominative)
• -lla / -llä – adessive case ending (on/at)

Singular adessive of asema:

• asema → asemalla

Basic singular pattern:

• nominative: asema (station)
• genitive: aseman (of the station)
• partitive: asemaa
• inessive: asemassa (in the station)
• elative: asemasta (from inside the station)
• illative: asemaan (into the station)
• adessive: asemalla (at the station)
• ablative: asemalta (from the station)
• allative: asemalle (to the station)

Could you also say asemalle instead of asemalla in this sentence?

You could, but the meaning changes slightly.

• Haluan olla asemalla ajoissa.
  I want to be at the station on time. (location)

• Haluan olla asemalle ajoissa.
  This is unusual and awkward. With asemalle (allative, to the station) the sentence suggests I want to be (on the way) to the station on time, which is not how Finns would normally say it.

If you want to focus on arrival, you’d more naturally say:

• Haluan ehtiä asemalle ajoissa. = I want to make it to the station on time.
• Haluan olla ajoissa asemalla. = I want to be on time at the station.

For the basic idea be at the station on time, asemalla is the correct and natural form.

What does ajoissa mean exactly, and how is it different from aikaisin?

Ajoissa means on time / in good time, not late.

• Minä haluan olla asemalla ajoissa.
  I want to be at the station on time (before the relevant deadline, e.g., before the train leaves).

Aikaisin means early (earlier than expected or earlier than necessary).

• Haluan olla asemalla aikaisin.
  I want to be early at the station (with extra time to spare).

So:

• ajoissa – on time (before it’s too late, not necessarily very early)
• aikaisin – early (sometimes much earlier than needed)

Can the word order change, for example Haluan olla ajoissa asemalla?

Yes. Finnish word order is quite flexible, and both are correct:

• Minä haluan olla asemalla ajoissa.
• Minä haluan olla ajoissa asemalla.

They mean practically the same: I want to be at the station on time.

Very roughly:

• Placing asemalla earlier emphasizes the place a bit more.
• Placing ajoissa earlier emphasizes the time/punctuality a bit more.

In normal, neutral speech, both orders are fine. The version in your sentence is the most textbook-like.

Could you leave out olla and just say Minä haluan asemalla ajoissa?

No, not in standard Finnish. You need olla here.

• Haluan olla asemalla ajoissa. – I want to be at the station on time.

Without olla, Haluan asemalla ajoissa sounds incomplete or wrong: I want at the station on time (missing to be or some other main verb).

Compare:

• Haluan syödä. – I want to eat.
• Haluan mennä asemalle. – I want to go to the station.

The pattern haluan + infinitive (here olla) is necessary.

How do you say I don’t want to be at the station on time using this sentence?

You negate the verb haluan with the Finnish negative verb en:

• Minä en halua olla asemalla ajoissa.
  = I don’t want to be at the station on time.

Breakdown:

• Minä – I
• en – I do not (1st person singular negative)
• halua – want (negative form: no -n ending)
• olla asemalla ajoissa – to be at the station on time

So: en halua = I do not want.
Subject Minä can still be dropped: En halua olla asemalla ajoissa.