Learn Hardcore Finnish: Tämän kurssin taso on minusta sopiva. - In my opinion the level of this course is suitable.

You cannot say tämä kurssi taso, because in Finnish you must mark that “level” belongs to “this course” by using the genitive case, not just by putting the words next to each other.

Why is tämän in that form? What case is it?

Tämän is the genitive singular of tämä (this).

Basic forms:

nominative: tämä = this
genitive: tämän = of this

You need the genitive because tämä is part of a genitive chain:

tämän kurssin taso
- tämän (of this)
- kurssin (of course)
- taso (level)

The combination tämän kurssin functions like “of this course”: both words in that part are in genitive because they form one unit that describes taso (level).

Why is kurssin in the form kurssin and not just kurssi?

Kurssin is the genitive singular of kurssi (course).

kurssi = course (nominative)
kurssin = of the course

We use kurssin because taso (level) is the thing that belongs to the course:

kurssin taso = the course’s level / the level of the course

So:

tasoni = my level
kurssin taso = the course’s level
tämän kurssin taso = this course’s level

In Finnish, this ownership/relationship is expressed by putting the “owner” (here: kurssi) into the genitive (kurssin).

Why is taso in the basic form and not tason or tasoa?

Here taso is the subject of the sentence and also the thing being described (the predicative structure taso on sopiva = the level is suitable).

In sentences with olla (to be), the subject and the describing word (if it’s a noun) are usually in the nominative:

Taso on sopiva. – The level is suitable.
Kirja on hyvä. – The book is good.
Tämä kurssi on helppo. – This course is easy.

So:

taso = nominative (correct here)
tason, tasoa would be different cases and would not fit this simple “X is Y” structure.

What exactly does minusta mean here?

Minusta is the elative case of minä (I).

Forms of minä:

nominative: minä – I
genitive: minun – my, of me
elative: minusta – literally from me
allative: minulle – to me, for me

In this sentence, minusta is an idiomatic way to say “in my opinion / I think”.

So:

Tämän kurssin taso on minusta sopiva.
- Literally: The level of this course is, from me, suitable.
- Natural English: I think the level of this course is suitable. / In my opinion, the level of this course is suitable.

So minusta here expresses an opinion, not movement or physical “from”.

What’s the difference between minusta and minun mielestäni?

Both can express an opinion, but they differ in form and style:

minusta = literally from me → idiomatic “I think / in my opinion”
minun mielestäni = literally in my opinion (according to my mind) → “in my opinion / in my view”

Examples:

Tämän kurssin taso on minusta sopiva.
Tämän kurssin taso on minun mielestäni sopiva.

Meaning-wise, both are almost the same: In my opinion the level of this course is suitable.

Differences:

minusta is shorter and very common in everyday speech.
minun mielestäni sounds a bit more explicit and sometimes a bit more formal or emphatic, because you’re literally saying “in my opinion”.

You can also shorten minun mielestäni to minun mielestä or even just mielestäni in many contexts.

Why minusta and not minun in this sentence?

Minun is the genitive of minä, used mainly for possession:

minun kirjani – my book
minun kurssini – my course

In our sentence we don’t want to say “my suitable level”; we want to say “I think (it is) suitable”.

To express opinion, Finnish commonly uses minusta (elative):

Minusta tämä on hyvä. – I think this is good.
Minusta hän on mukava. – I think he/she is nice.

So here minusta is the correct form because it’s the set expression for “I think / in my opinion”, not a possessive form like minun.

What is the difference between minusta sopiva and minulle sopiva?

They express two different ideas:

minusta sopiva
- minusta = in my opinion
- minusta sopiva ≈ suitable in my opinion
- Focus: your judgment about suitability, in general.
minulle sopiva
- minulle = to me / for me (allative case)
- minulle sopiva ≈ suitable for me (personally)
- Focus: whether it fits you, your needs or level.

Compare:

Tämän kurssin taso on minusta sopiva.
I think the level of this course is suitable (in general).
Tämän kurssin taso on minulle sopiva.
The level of this course is suitable for me (it matches my level / my schedule / my needs).

Both are correct but they highlight different things: opinion vs personal suitability.

Can I change the word order? For example: Minusta tämän kurssin taso on sopiva?

Yes, you can change the word order, and it’s still correct Finnish. Common variants:

Tämän kurssin taso on minusta sopiva.
Minusta tämän kurssin taso on sopiva.

Both are natural.

Nuance:

Starting with Minusta tends to emphasize your opinion a bit more, like English “I think the level of this course is suitable.”
Putting minusta later (as in the original) can sound a bit more neutral or like adding your opinion after stating the fact.

In spoken Finnish, you’ll hear both orders frequently. The grammar is fine either way.

Why is sopiva in that form and not sopivan or sopivaa?

Sopiva is an adjective meaning suitable in its nominative form. In a simple “X is Y” sentence:

X = subject (nominative)
Y = predicative (also nominative)

Examples:

Taso on sopiva. – The level is suitable.
Kurssi on helppo. – The course is easy.
Päivä on pitkä. – The day is long.

So here:

taso (subject, nominative)
sopiva (adjective describing the subject, nominative)

Forms like sopivan (genitive) or sopivaa (partitive) are used in other grammatical roles, but not in this basic “X is Y” structure.

Could I leave out tämän and just say Kurssin taso on minusta sopiva?

Yes, you can say:

Kurssin taso on minusta sopiva.

This would usually mean “I think the level of the course is suitable” where “the course” is already known from context.

Difference:

Tämän kurssin taso = the level of this (particular) course → you’re clearly pointing to a specific course (e.g. the one you are currently taking).
Kurssin taso = the level of the course → sounds more general or assumes it’s clear which course you’re talking about.

So tämän just adds “this”, making it explicitly about a particular course.