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?