028
Log inSign up

En vastaa puheluun yöllä, jotta nukun hyvin.

En vastaa puheluun yöllä, jotta nukun hyvin.
I don’t answer the call at night so that I sleep well.

Breakdown of En vastaa puheluun yöllä, jotta nukun hyvin.

minä
I
ei
not
jotta
so that
vastata
to answer
hyvin
well
yöllä
at night
nukkua
to sleep
puhelu
call
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Finnish grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Finnish now

Questions & Answers about En vastaa puheluun yöllä, jotta nukun hyvin.

Why does the sentence start with En?

En is the 1st person singular form of the Finnish negative verb (ei = “not”). Finnish forms many negatives with:

  • negative verb (conjugated for the person) + main verb in the connegative form

So En vastaa... literally works like “I not answer...”.

Why is it En vastaa and not En vastaan?

Because after the negative verb, Finnish uses the connegative form of the main verb, not the normal personal ending.

  • Positive: Minä vastaan (vastata → vastaan, “I answer”)
  • Negative: Minä en vastaa (connegative vastaa)

That vastaa form looks like the 3rd person singular (hän vastaa), but here it’s specifically the connegative used after en.

What case is puheluun, and why is it used?

Puheluun is illative case (“into/to”).
Base word: puhelu = “a phone call”
Illative: puheluun = “(to) a call”

The verb vastata (“to answer”) commonly takes an illative complement:

  • vastata puheluun = “answer a call”
  • more generally, vastata kysymykseen = “answer a question” (illative: kysymykseen)

So puheluun marks what you’re answering to.

Could I also say En vastaa puhelimeen?

Yes, and it’s very common.

  • vastata puhelimeen = “answer the phone” (the device)
  • vastata puheluun = “answer the call” (the event/ringing)

Both are natural; puhelimeen may be the most everyday phrasing.

What is yöllä grammatically, and why that ending?

Yöllä is the adessive case (“on/at”), often used for time expressions meaning at (a time):

  • yöllä = “at night”

The base is yö (“night”). The stem changes in inflection (you get yö → yö- / yöllä), and Finnish spelling shows the longer consonant: ll.

Does yöllä mean “every night” or “at night (in general)”?

Usually at night / during the night in a general sense. With the present tense (En vastaa...) it often implies a habit/policy: “I don’t answer at night.”

If you wanted to stress “every night,” you might add a word like:

  • joka yö = “every night”
Why is there a comma before jotta?

Because jotta introduces a subordinate clause. In Finnish, subordinate clauses are normally separated with a comma:

  • En vastaa puheluun yöllä, jotta ...
What does jotta do here, and how is it different from että?

jotta typically introduces a purpose/goal: “so that / in order that.”

että often introduces a content clause (“that...”) or can be used in some result-like structures.

In many contexts:

  • jotta ≈ “in order to / so that (goal)”
  • että ≈ “that (content)” or sometimes “so that (result)”
Should it be jotta nukun or jotta nukkuisin?

Learners often see jotta + conditional as the most standard “purpose clause” pattern:

  • En vastaa puheluun yöllä, jotta nukkuisin hyvin. = “...so that I would sleep well / so that I can sleep well.”

Using jotta + indicative (jotta nukun hyvin) can occur, especially in more informal speech, but many speakers would find nukkuisin more idiomatic for expressing purpose.

If you mean more of a result (“and as a result I sleep well”), another natural option is:

  • En vastaa puheluun yöllä, niin että nukun hyvin.
Why is nukun in the present tense?

The present tense fits a general habit or routine:

  • En vastaa ... = “I don’t answer (as a rule)”
  • (jotta) nukun hyvin = “(so that) I sleep well”

If you were talking about one specific past night, you’d switch to past:

  • En vastannut puheluun yöllä, jotta nukuin / nukkuisin hyvin. (choice depends on meaning/style)
Can the word order change (e.g., Yöllä en vastaa puheluun)?

Yes. Finnish word order is flexible and often reflects emphasis/focus.

  • En vastaa puheluun yöllä... = neutral, statement first
  • Yöllä en vastaa puheluun... = emphasizes at night (contrast like “At night, I don’t answer...”)

Both are grammatical; the difference is mostly about what you want to highlight.