Teen myös varmuuskopion ennen kuin lähden.

I also make a backup before I leave.

Breakdown of Teen myös varmuuskopion ennen kuin lähden.

• minä: I
• tehdä: to make
• lähteä: to leave
• ennen kuin: before
• varmuuskopio: backup
• myös: also; too

Questions & Answers about Teen myös varmuuskopion ennen kuin lähden.

Why is there no word for I in this sentence?

Finnish usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows the person/number.
Teen = (minä) teen = I do / I’m doing.
You can add minä for emphasis or contrast (e.g., Minä teen myös varmuuskopion… = I (as opposed to someone else) also make a backup…).

What form is teen, and why does tehdä change to teen?

Teen is the 1st person singular present tense of tehdä (to do / to make).
The verb has an irregular-looking stem change:

• tehdä → teen (I do/make)
• teet (you do/make)
• tekee (he/she does/makes)

This is just how this common verb conjugates; it’s something you largely memorize.

Does Teen mean I do, I am doing, or I will do here?

Grammatically it’s present tense, but Finnish present often covers near future too, especially with time words like ennen kuin (before).
So Teen myös varmuuskopion ennen kuin lähden is naturally understood as I’ll make a backup before I leave, even though the verb form is present.

Why is the object varmuuskopion (with -n) and not varmuuskopio or varmuuskopiota?

varmuuskopion is the total object form (often called accusative, though for singular nouns it looks like genitive -n). It implies you will make a complete backup (a finished, whole result).

Common contrasts:

• Teen varmuuskopion. = I’ll make a (complete) backup.
• Teen varmuuskopiota. (partitive) = I’m making a backup (ongoing / not necessarily finished / some backup work).

In this sentence, the idea is “do it before leaving,” so a finished result fits well.

What exactly does myös mean, and why is it placed where it is?

myös means also / too / as well.
Placed after the verb (Teen myös…) it typically means In addition to what I’m already doing / planning, I also make a backup.

Word order can shift emphasis:

• Teen myös varmuuskopion… = I also make a backup… (adding an action)
• Teen varmuuskopion myös ennen kuin lähden. = I’ll make a backup also before I leave (adding timing; less natural unless contrasting times)

What does ennen kuin do grammatically?

ennen kuin introduces a time clause meaning before (that). It works like “before” + a full clause in English:

• ennen kuin lähden = before I leave

It’s a fixed conjunction: ennen (before) + kuin (than/as/that, used in several constructions).

Why is it lähden and not some infinitive like lähteä?

Because after ennen kuin, Finnish uses a finite verb (a conjugated verb) in the subordinate clause.
So you say:

• ennen kuin lähden = before I leave (verb is 1st person singular)

You would not use the plain infinitive lähteä here.

Why does lähteä become lähden? Where does the d come from?

This is a common Finnish pattern called consonant gradation plus a stem change in conjugation:

• Dictionary form: lähteä
• 1st singular present: lähden

The t in lähte- becomes d in certain forms. You’ll see similar alternations in many verbs and nouns.

Could I change the word order? Is Finnish word order flexible here?

It’s somewhat flexible, but changes emphasis.

Neutral/natural:

• Teen myös varmuuskopion ennen kuin lähden.

Possible with emphasis:

• Ennen kuin lähden, teen myös varmuuskopion. (emphasizes the “before leaving” timing)
• Varmuuskopion teen myös ennen kuin lähden. (emphasizes backup specifically; sounds more contrastive)

The core grammar stays the same; the fronted element becomes the focus/topic.

Can varmuuskopio mean both “backup” and “backup copy”? Is it one word in Finnish?

Yes. varmuuskopio is a compound noun:

• varmuus = certainty / security
• kopio = copy

Together it functions as the standard word for backup (a backup copy). In everyday Finnish, it’s the normal term you’d use for backing up files/data.