Breakdown of Lapsi on ujo uudessa ryhmässä, mutta opettaja on ahkera ja ystävällinen.
olla
to be
uusi
new
ja
and
mutta
but
Questions & Answers about Lapsi on ujo uudessa ryhmässä, mutta opettaja on ahkera ja ystävällinen.
Why are there no words for a or the in Lapsi and opettaja?
Finnish does not have articles like a/an or the. The bare noun can mean a child / the child or a teacher / the teacher, depending on context.
- Lapsi on ujo…
→ can be understood as “The child is shy…” or “A child is shy…” - …mutta opettaja on…
→ “but the teacher is…” or “but a teacher is…”
Context (what has already been mentioned, what both speakers know, etc.) tells you whether the noun should be translated with a or the in English.
What does on mean in this sentence, and why is it used twice?
On is the 3rd person singular form of the verb olla (to be).
- Lapsi on ujo… = The child is shy…
- …mutta opettaja on ahkera ja ystävällinen. = …but the teacher is hardworking and friendly.
You need on for each separate clause:
- Clause 1: Lapsi on ujo uudessa ryhmässä
- Clause 2: (mutta) opettaja on ahkera ja ystävällinen
In everyday speech the second on is sometimes dropped (…mutta opettaja ahkera ja ystävällinen), but in standard written Finnish it is normally included.