Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Finnish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Kielikerho on vapaaehtoinen.
What does kielikerho literally mean, and how is it formed?
Kielikerho literally means language club.
It is a compound word made of:
- kieli = language
- kerho = club, club activity, club group
Finnish often combines nouns like this into one word, so instead of kieli kerho, you get kielikerho. It is in the nominative singular form, acting as the subject of the sentence.
Why is the verb on used here, and what form is it?
On is the 3rd person singular form of the verb olla (to be).
The full conjugation (present tense) of olla starts:
- minä olen – I am
- sinä olet – you are (singular)
- hän on – he/she is
- se on – it is
In this sentence, kielikerho is a singular subject, so you use on:
Kielikerho on vapaaehtoinen. = The language club is voluntary.
What part of speech is vapaaehtoinen, and what does it mean?
Vapaaehtoinen is:
- an adjective meaning