Learn Hardcore Finnish: Uusi ohjain on kevyt ja mukava. - The new controller is light and comfortable.

Uusi – adjective: “new”, nominative singular, describing ohjain
ohjain – noun: “controller” (or similar device), nominative singular, subject
on – verb: “is”, 3rd person singular present of olla (“to be”)
kevyt – adjective: “light” (not heavy), nominative singular, predicate adjective
ja – conjunction: “and”
mukava – adjective: “comfortable / nice”, nominative singular, predicate adjective

So the sentence literally is: “New controller is light and comfortable.”
(English needs a/the, Finnish does not.)

Why is there no word for “a” or “the” in this Finnish sentence?

Finnish does not have articles at all—no equivalents of “a/an” or “the.”

Definiteness and indefiniteness are understood from context, not from special words.
So:

Uusi ohjain on kevyt ja mukava.
can mean:
- “The new controller is light and comfortable.” (if a specific one is meant)
- “A new controller is light and comfortable.” (in a more general sense, or when first introduced)

You choose “a” or “the” in English based on context, but in Finnish the sentence itself does not change.

Why is it uusi ohjain and not something like uuden ohjaimen?

Uusi ohjain is in the nominative singular, which is the basic “dictionary form” and is used for the subject of a simple sentence.

uusi – nominative singular of uusi (“new”)
ohjain – nominative singular of ohjain (“controller”)

You would use uuden ohjaimen (genitive) in other structures, for example:

Pidän uudesta ohjaimesta. – “I like the new controller.”
Uuden ohjaimen hinta on korkea. – “The price of the new controller is high.”

In our sentence, “the new controller” is just the subject, so nominative uusi ohjain is correct.

What case are kevyt and mukava in, and why do they look like that?

Both kevyt and mukava are in the nominative singular, matching the subject uusi ohjain.

With olla (“to be”), when you state what something is in a normal, complete way, the adjective (predicate) usually:

agrees with the subject in number (singular/plural) and
is in the nominative case.

So:

Uusi ohjain on kevyt. – “The new controller is light.”
Uusi ohjain on mukava. – “The new controller is comfortable.”
Uusi ohjain on kevyt ja mukava. – “The new controller is light and comfortable.”

All adjectives here are singular nominative, because ohjain is singular nominative.

What exactly does ohjain mean? Is it “controller,” “remote,” or something else?

Ohjain is a general word meaning something like “controller” or “control device.”

Its exact English translation depends on context:

peliohjain – game controller
kaukosäädin / kauko‑ohjain – remote control
hiiriohjain – mouse controller
in technical contexts, ohjain can also be “driver,” “actuator,” “control unit,” etc.

In everyday speech about consoles or gaming, ohjain very often means “(game) controller.” Context tells you which type.

Why is the verb on and not olla or something else?

On is the 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb olla (“to be”).

olla = the infinitive form, “to be”
on = “is” / “are” (for hän, se, ne, and also impersonal uses)

The subject here is uusi ohjain (a singular thing), so you use on:

(Se) on kevyt ja mukava. – “It is light and comfortable.”

You only use olla as it is in dictionary form (or in structures that need the infinitive), not as the main finite verb of the sentence.

Could the word order be Ohjain on uusi, kevyt ja mukava? Does that change the meaning?

Yes, that word order is also grammatically correct:

Ohjain on uusi, kevyt ja mukava.

The difference is mostly in emphasis:

Uusi ohjain on kevyt ja mukava.
– Emphasis slightly on “the new controller” (as opposed to some older one).
Ohjain on uusi, kevyt ja mukava.
– More neutral focus on “the controller” and its qualities in general.

Both can translate as “The new controller is light and comfortable.”
In practice, both are fine in normal speech; context and intonation give the nuance.

Why isn’t there a pronoun like “it” in the Finnish sentence?

In Finnish, you usually don’t repeat a subject with a pronoun in the same simple clause when the noun is already there.

English often says:

The new controller, it is light and comfortable. (informally)

Finnish would generally avoid that repetition:

Uusi ohjain on kevyt ja mukava. – “The new controller is light and comfortable.”

You might use a pronoun in a new sentence referring back:

Uusi ohjain on kevyt ja mukava. Se on myös halpa.
– “The new controller is light and comfortable. It is also cheap.”

Here se = “it,” and is natural because we have started a new sentence.

When would these adjectives be in the partitive instead of nominative?

With olla, you normally use the nominative (as in our sentence) when you’re simply stating what something is.

You might use the partitive form of the adjective when:

You talk about material or substance:
- Ohjain on kevyttä muovia. – “The controller is (made of) light plastic.”
  (kevyttä = partitive singular)
You express something incomplete, temporary, or somewhat:
- Olo on kevyttä ja mukavaa. – “The feeling is (somewhat) light and comfortable.”
  (more vague or ongoing)
With certain partitive verbs or expressions of quantity (not really about olla itself).

In Uusi ohjain on kevyt ja mukava, we’re just describing clear, full qualities, so nominative (kevyt, mukava) is normal.

How do you pronounce ohjain, especially the hj and ai?

Approximate pronunciation (in simple English terms):

o – like “o” in “more” (shorter), or a bit like “off.”
h – a regular h sound.
j – like English “y” in “yes.”
ai – like “eye” in English.

So ohjain ≈ “oh‑yain”:

Say oh (short).
Then yai as in “y-eye-n,” but quite quickly.

The hj cluster is pronounced as [hj]: a light h followed by j (y‑sound). Don’t make it like an English “hj” or “sh”; keep the sounds distinct: h + y.

Why is it kevyt and not something like kevytä or kevyen here?

Kevyt is the nominative singular form of the adjective “light (in weight).”

Other forms are used in other cases or contexts:

kevyt – nominative singular (our sentence)
kevyttä – partitive singular
kevyen – genitive singular
kevyet – nominative plural
kevyitä – partitive plural

In Uusi ohjain on kevyt, the subject is a single controller in nominative (ohjain), and the predicate adjective is also nominative singular (kevyt), agreeing with it. So kevyt is exactly the right form here.

How would I say “very light and comfortable” or “lighter and more comfortable” in Finnish?

Two useful things:

“Very light and comfortable”
- Todella kevyt ja mukava. – “really/very light and comfortable.”
- Erittäin kevyt ja mukava. – more formal “very light and comfortable.”
So you can say:
Uusi ohjain on todella kevyt ja mukava.
“Lighter and more comfortable” (comparative adjectives):
- kevyt → kevyempi – “lighter”
- mukava → mukavampi – “more comfortable / nicer”
Example:
Uusi ohjain on kevyempi ja mukavampi kuin vanha.
– “The new controller is lighter and more comfortable than the old one.”

Can I leave out on and say Uusi ohjain kevyt ja mukava, like some languages drop “is”?

No. In standard Finnish you must include the verb on in this kind of sentence.

Uusi ohjain on kevyt ja mukava. – correct
Uusi ohjain kevyt ja mukava. – ungrammatical in normal Finnish

Finnish does not drop olla in the present tense the way some languages omit “to be.” The verb on is required here.

How would I negate this: “The new controller is not light and (not) comfortable”?

To negate olla, Finnish uses a separate negative verb ei plus ole:

Uusi ohjain ei ole kevyt eikä mukava.
– “The new controller is not light and not comfortable.”

Breakdown:

ei ole – “is not”
eikä – “and not” (from ja
- ei)

You can also use just one adjective:

Uusi ohjain ei ole kevyt. – “The new controller is not light.”