Learn Hardcore Finnish: Sanakokeen jälkeen juon kahvia ja olen helpottunut. - After the vocabulary test I drink coffee and I am relieved.

Because jälkeen (after) requires the word before it to be in the genitive case (often marked with -n or -en in the singular).
So sanakoe → sanakokeen = of the vocabulary test / after the vocabulary test.
Structure: [GENITIVE] + jälkeen = after [something].

What is the base form (dictionary form) of sanakokeen?

The dictionary form is sanakoe (vocabulary test).
It’s a compound: sana (word) + koe (test/exam) → sanakoe.

Why does sanakoe become sanakokeen (with -een) in the genitive?

This comes from how the word koe inflects.

koe → genitive kokeen
So in the compound, the inflection happens at the end:
sanakoe → sanakokeen

This is a common pattern with nouns ending in -e.

Why is kahvia in the partitive (-a/-ä) instead of kahvi?

Juoda (to drink) typically takes the partitive when you mean an indefinite amount: some coffee, not a specific whole unit.

juon kahvia = I’m drinking / I drink (some) coffee.

If you mean a specific, bounded amount (like the coffee / a cup you finish), you might see the accusative/genitive-like form:

juon kahvin = I drink the coffee (often implying you finish it)

What does juon mean grammatically?

juon is the 1st person singular present tense form of juoda (to drink).

minä juon = I drink / I’m drinking
Finnish often drops the subject pronoun because the verb ending already shows the person.

Why isn’t minä (I) included in the sentence?

It can be included, but it’s usually unnecessary. Finnish verb endings show the subject clearly:

(Minä) juon = I drink
(Minä) olen = I am

You add minä mainly for emphasis or contrast (like I specifically, not someone else).

Is the tense here present or future? It sounds like something happening after the test.

Formally it’s present tense (juon, olen), but Finnish present often covers near future or planned actions when the time is clear from context.
So this can mean:

After the test, I (will) drink coffee and (will) be relieved.

What is olen helpottunut—is it just “I am relieved,” or something else?

It’s built like a perfect-style expression:

olen (I am / I have) + helpottunut (past participle of helpottua, “to become relieved”)

So it often implies a change of state: I have become relieved / I’m relieved now.
In natural English, it’s usually just translated as I’m relieved, but the Finnish form highlights that the relief comes as a result of something.

Is helpottunut an adjective or a verb form?

It’s a past participle form from the verb helpottua (to feel relieved / to become easier), but in this structure it functions very much like an adjective describing your state:

olen helpottunut = I am (in a) relieved state / I have become relieved.

Why does Finnish repeat the verb (juon … ja olen …) instead of saying something like “drink coffee and relieved”?

Finnish generally needs a verb in each clause to express states/actions clearly:

juon kahvia (I drink coffee)
olen helpottunut (I am relieved)

You can’t normally just attach helpottunut without a verb the way English can in informal shorthand.

Could the word order change? For example, can I say Juon kahvia sanakokeen jälkeen?

Yes. Finnish word order is flexible, and changing it often changes focus/emphasis rather than basic meaning. For example:

Sanakokeen jälkeen juon kahvia… = focuses on after the test (sets the scene first)
Juon kahvia sanakokeen jälkeen… = focuses more on drinking coffee (then adds when)

Both are natural.

How do I pronounce jälkeen and helpottunut?

A few key points:

jälkeen: ä is like the vowel in cat (but more fronted), and kk indicates a clearly longer k sound. Roughly: YAL-kehn (with Finnish sounds).
helpottunut: stress is on the first syllable: HEL-...; and tt is long. Roughly: HEL-pot-tu-nut.

In Finnish, double consonants (like kk, tt) are pronounced longer than single ones, and that length can matter.