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Kaikki ovat jo paikalla.

Kaikki ovat jo paikalla.
Everyone is already present.

Breakdown of Kaikki ovat jo paikalla.

olla
to be
jo
already
kaikki
everyone
paikalla
present
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Questions & Answers about Kaikki ovat jo paikalla.

Why is it ovat (plural) and not on (singular), even though in English we say “everyone is” and not “everyone are”?

In Finnish, kaikki in this sentence is treated as a plural subject, so it takes the 3rd person plural verb ovat (“are”).

  • kaikki = “all, everyone” (here: people, plural)
  • ovat = 3rd person plural of olla (“to be”) → “are”

So:

  • Kaikki ovat jo paikalla.
    = Literally: All (of them) are already at the place / present.

This is different from English, where everyone is grammatically singular. In standard written Finnish, Kaikki on jo paikalla (with singular on) is usually considered non‑standard if you clearly mean “all the people”. However, you do see kaikki on in spoken language and dialects.

What exactly does kaikki mean here, and can it also mean “everything”?

Yes, kaikki can mean both “everyone” and “everything”, depending on context.

In this sentence:

  • Kaikki ovat jo paikalla.
    → kaikki clearly means “everyone / all (people)”, because:
    • It refers to people being present.
    • The verb ovat is plural, matching people.

When kaikki means “everything”, you usually see it with a singular verb:

  • Kaikki on kunnossa. = “Everything is in order.”
  • Kaikki on valmista. = “Everything is ready.”

So, very roughly:

  • Kaikki ovat … → “Everyone …” (people, plural)
  • Kaikki on … → “Everything …” (things, mass, abstract)
What is the role of jo in this sentence, and where can it appear in the word order?

jo means “already”.

In Kaikki ovat jo paikalla., it modifies the verb phrase ovat … paikalla:

  • Kaikki = everyone
  • ovat = are
  • jo = already
  • paikalla = present / at the place

The most natural position here is exactly where it is: Kaikki ovat jo paikalla.

Other positions are technically possible but sound marked or unnatural in neutral speech:

  • Kaikki jo ovat paikalla.
    → Grammatically possible, but sounds poetic/emphatic or odd in everyday speech.

  • Kaikki ovat paikalla jo.
    → Also possible; can sound a bit more emphatic or informal, often with stress on jo if you’re contrasting times (“they’re already here, earlier than expected”).

Neutral, everyday Finnish most often uses:

  • Kaikki ovat jo paikalla.
What case is paikalla, and why is it used instead of something like paikassa or paikkaan?

paikalla is in the adessive case (ending -lla / -llä).

Roughly:

  • paikka = “place” (basic form / nominative)
  • paikassa = in the place (inessive)
  • paikalla = at the place (adessive)
  • paikkaan = into the place (illative)

In this expression, olla paikalla is a fixed phrase meaning:

  • olla paikalla = “to be present / to be there / to be at the place”

So paikalla is not just a neutral location; it carries the sense of being present (at an event / meeting / location).

Comparisons:

  • Kaikki ovat paikalla.
    = Everyone is present (e.g. in a class, meeting, party).

  • Kaikki ovat paikassa.
    → Grammatically OK, but unusual here; it sounds more like “Everyone is inside the place/space/room,” focusing on interior location rather than presence at an event.

  • Kaikki menevät paikkaan.
    = Everyone is going to the place (movement towards).

What is the difference between paikalla and täällä? Can I say Kaikki ovat jo täällä instead?

You can say Kaikki ovat jo täällä, but there is a nuance difference.

  • täällä = “here” (where the speaker is)
    → a direct spatial “here vs there” word.

  • paikalla = “at the place / present”
    → often used about attendance or presence, especially in contexts like:

    • meetings
    • classes
    • events
    • roll calls

So:

  • Kaikki ovat jo paikalla.
    = Everyone is already present (they’ve arrived at the event/meeting/etc.).

  • Kaikki ovat jo täällä.
    = Everyone is already here (in this location with me).

Often, these overlap in meaning, so both are possible, but paikalla is the typical choice when talking about whether people have arrived/are present for something.

Can I drop the verb ovat and just say Kaikki jo paikalla?

In standard written Finnish, you normally must include the verb ovat:

  • Kaikki ovat jo paikalla. ✅ (standard)

In spoken Finnish, people sometimes omit olla (“to be”) in certain contexts, especially in casual speech, so you might hear:

  • Kaikki jo paikalla. (spoken, colloquial, elliptical)

This is understood, but it is not recommended for learners in formal or written contexts. If you’re writing or trying to speak “correct textbook Finnish,” keep the verb:

  • Use Kaikki ovat jo paikalla.
Why is there no personal pronoun like he (“they”) in the sentence?

Finnish usually doesn’t need subject pronouns when the subject is otherwise clear, because:

  • The verb ending shows person and number (ovat = “they are”).
  • A word like kaikki already functions as the subject.

So:

  • Kaikki ovat jo paikalla.
    Literally: “All are already at the place.”

Adding a pronoun like he would be unnecessary and unnatural here:

  • He kaikki ovat jo paikalla.
    → Possible only in special emphatic contexts (“They all are already here”), and even then you’d more likely say Kaikki he ovat jo paikalla, but this is quite marked and not the neutral way.

For a simple “Everyone is already here,” you just say:

  • Kaikki ovat jo paikalla.
Is kaikki here an adjective (“all”) or a pronoun (“everyone”)? How does it behave grammatically?

In this sentence, kaikki functions as a pronoun meaning “everyone / all (of them)”.

kaikki can be:

  1. An adjective meaning “all” that modifies a noun:

    • kaikki ihmiset = all people
    • kaikki kirjat = all (the) books

  2. A pronoun replacing the noun:

    • Kaikki tulivat. = Everyone came.
    • Kaikki ovat jo paikalla. = Everyone is already present.

Here, there is no noun after kaikki, so it clearly acts as a pronoun (“everyone”), and the verb ovat agrees with it in the plural.

How would I say “Not everyone is here yet” using kaikki?

A natural way is to use kaikki in a negative structure:

  • Kaikki eivät ole vielä paikalla.
    = “Not everyone is here yet.”

Breakdown:

  • Kaikki = everyone
  • eivät = 3rd person plural negative auxiliary (“do not / are not”)
  • ole = negative base form of olla (“to be”)
  • vielä = yet
  • paikalla = present / at the place

So the pattern is:

  • Kaikki eivät ole vielä paikalla.
    Literally: “All do not yet be present.” → “Not everyone is here yet.”
How should I pronounce kaikki and paikalla? Any tricky parts for an English speaker?

Key points:

  1. Vowel length and diphthongs

    • kai- and pai- are diphthongs:
      • ai like in “eye” (one smooth syllable).
    • In kaikki, syllables: kai‑kki
    • In paikalla, syllables: pai‑kal‑la

  2. Double consonants

    • kk in kaikki and ll in paikalla are geminates (long consonants).
    • Hold the consonant slightly longer than in English:
      • kai-kki ≈ “kai-kki” with a short break or extra length on the k.
      • pai-kal-la with a longer l.

  3. Stress

    • Primary stress is always on the first syllable:
      • KAI-kki
      • PAI-kal-la

Putting it together, a rough guide:

  • Kaikki ≈ “KAIK-ki”
  • Paikalla ≈ “PAI-kal-la”