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Tämä peli on hauska.

Tämä peli on hauska.
This game is fun.

Breakdown of Tämä peli on hauska.

olla
to be
tämä
this
peli
the game
hauska
funny
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Questions & Answers about Tämä peli on hauska.

What does each word in Tämä peli on hauska literally mean?

Word by word:

  • tämä = this (demonstrative pronoun)
  • peli = game
  • on = is (3rd person singular of the verb olla = to be)
  • hauska = usually fun or funny, depending on context

So the sentence is literally “This game is fun/funny.”

Why is the verb on and not something like olla or olen?

Olla is the basic dictionary form (to be).
Finnish verbs change their form depending on the subject:

  • minä olen = I am
  • sinä olet = you (sg.) are
  • hän / se on = he / she / it is
  • me olemme = we are
  • te olette = you (pl.) are
  • he / ne ovat = they are

In Tämä peli on hauska, the subject is peli (game), a 3rd person singular thing, so the correct form of olla is on (is).

Why are peli and hauska in the same base form? Why not pelin or hauskan?

Here the structure is:

  • Tämä peli = the subject (this game)
  • on hauska = is fun (verb + predicate adjective)

In Finnish, when you say X is Y (and Y is an adjective that simply describes X), both the noun (peli) and the adjective (hauska) are usually in the nominative (the basic form):

  • Peli on hauska. = The game is fun.
  • Elokuva on pitkä. = The movie is long.
  • Kaupunki on suuri. = The city is big.

Forms like pelin, hauskan are different cases (genitive etc.) and would mean something else, e.g. pelin sääntö = the game’s rule.

Why is there no word like a or the here? How do I know if it’s “this game” or “this the game”?

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

  • peli can mean a game or the game, depending on context.
  • tämä peli always means this game (but still no article word).

So:

  • Peli on hauska. = The game is fun / A game is fun (context decides)
  • Tämä peli on hauska. = This game is fun.

English needs articles; Finnish simply doesn’t use them.

Could I just say Peli on hauska without tämä? What’s the difference?

Yes:

  • Peli on hauska. = The game is fun / A game is fun (more general)
  • Tämä peli on hauska. = This game is fun (you are pointing to or clearly identifying one specific game)

Use tämä when you want to emphasize this particular one in front of you or the one you’re currently talking about.

What’s the difference between tämä, tuo, and se?

All three can translate as this/that/it, but they’re used slightly differently:

  • tämä = this (one here), physically close to the speaker
    • Tämä peli on hauska. = This game (here) is fun.
  • tuo = that (one there), a bit further away, often visible
    • Tuo peli on hauska. = That game (over there) is fun.
  • se = it / that, usually something already known in the context, not necessarily visible
    • Se peli on hauska. = That game / it is fun.

In speech, people often say tää (for tämä) and toi (for tuo): Tää peli on hauska.

Does hauska mean “fun” or “funny”? How is it used?

Hauska covers both ideas and context decides:

  • Tämä peli on hauska. = This game is fun (to play).
  • Hän on hauska. = He/She is funny (makes people laugh).
  • Hauska juttu! = Funny story! / That’s fun!

Some related adjectives:

  • kiva = nice, pleasant
  • mukava = nice, comfortable, pleasant
  • viihdyttävä = entertaining

If you specifically want “funny (in a humorous way)”, you can also say hauska; that’s natural.

Can I change the word order, like Hauska peli tämä on?

Yes, Finnish allows quite flexible word order. Neutral and most common is:

  • Tämä peli on hauska.

Other orders are possible for emphasis or style:

  • Peli on hauska. – More general, no this.
  • Hauska peli tämä on. – Very emphatic or stylistic, like Yoda: “A fun game this is.”

As a learner, use Tämä peli on hauska as your default; it sounds natural in almost any context.

How would I say “These games are fun” instead?

You need plural forms:

  • Nämä pelit ovat hauskoja.

Breakdown:

  • nämä = these (plural of tämä)
  • pelit = games (plural of peli)
  • ovat = are (3rd person plural of olla)
  • hauskoja = fun (partitive plural of hauska, used here because you’re describing multiple items in a general way)

Singular: Tämä peli on hauska.
Plural: Nämä pelit ovat hauskoja.

How do I say “This game is not fun”?

Use the negative verb ei plus ole (the special negative form of olla):

  • Tämä peli ei ole hauska. = This game is not fun.

Pattern:

  • Tämä peli on hauska. = is fun
  • Tämä peli ei ole hauska. = is not fun
How would I say “This game was fun”?

You need the past tense of olla:

  • Tämä peli oli hauska. = This game was fun.

Comparison:

  • on = is (present)
  • oli = was (past)
How do I pronounce Tämä peli on hauska correctly?

Rough guide for English speakers:

  • Tämä: TÄ-mä
    • ä like a in cat, but longer/purer
    • stress on the first syllable: TÄ
  • peli: PE-li
    • e like e in get
    • stress on PE
  • on: like English on, but shorter
  • hauska: HAUS-ka
    • au is one diphthong, like ow in cow
    • s always like s in see (never like English z)
    • stress on HAUS

Overall stress pattern: TÄ-mä PE-li on HAUS-ka – always primary stress on the first syllable of each word.