Log inSign up

Varmistan, että yhteystieto on oikein, ennen kuin lähetän viestin sähköpostitse.

Varmistan, että yhteystieto on oikein, ennen kuin lähetän viestin sähköpostitse.
I make sure that the contact detail is correct before I send the message by email.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Finnish grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Finnish now

Questions & Answers about Varmistan, että yhteystieto on oikein, ennen kuin lähetän viestin sähköpostitse.

Why does the sentence start with Varmistan? What form is it?

Varmistan is the 1st person singular present tense of the verb varmistaa (to make sure / to ensure / to verify).
Finnish often starts a sentence with the finite verb + subject implied by the verb ending, so Varmistan already means I make sure (no separate minä is needed).

What role does että play here?

että introduces a content clause (a “that-clause”)—it marks what you are making sure of.
So Varmistan, että ... corresponds to I make sure that ....
The comma before että is standard when the main clause is followed by a subordinate clause.

Why is there a comma after Varmistan?

Because the sentence is split into a main clause (Varmistan) and a subordinate clause beginning with että. In Finnish, subordinate clauses are typically separated by a comma:

  • Varmistan, että ...
What does yhteystieto mean grammatically, and why is it singular?

yhteystieto is a compound noun: yhteys (contact/connection) + tieto (information) → contact information / contact detail.
It’s singular here, meaning one contact detail (e.g., an email address). If you mean multiple details, you might see the plural yhteystiedot (very common in Finnish for “contact information” as a set).

Why is it yhteystieto on oikein and not something like “is correct” with an adjective agreement?

Finnish has two common ways to express “X is correct”:

1) X on oikein

  • oikein is an adverb meaning correctly / right used predicatively in expressions like this.
  • This is a very natural, common pattern.

2) X on oikea (or oikea(n) depending on style)

  • oikea is an adjective (correct / right) and agrees in number/case in other contexts.

In practice, on oikein is extremely common in everyday Finnish for “is correct”.

Why is it on (present tense) even though the checking happens before sending?

Finnish present tense often covers what English would express as present or near-future in planned actions. The sentence describes a habitual/typical procedure: I make sure it’s correct before I send...
You could also see past forms in a narrative, but present is normal for instructions or describing one’s routine.

How does ennen kuin work here?

ennen kuin means before and it introduces a subordinate clause with a verb:

  • ennen kuin lähetän ... = before I send ...

Use ennen + kuin when before is followed by a clause (subject + verb).
If it’s followed by a noun phrase, Finnish often uses ennen + a case form instead (e.g., ennen lähettämistä = before sending).

Why is it lähetän and not an infinitive like “before sending”?

Because ennen kuin requires a finite clause (with a conjugated verb):

  • ennen kuin lähetän (before I send)

If you want an “-ing” style structure, Finnish uses a noun/nominalization:

  • ennen viestin lähettämistä = before sending the message
    Here lähettämistä is the “sending” noun (a verbal noun in the partitive).
Why is it viestin (not viesti)?

viestin is the genitive singular of viesti (message).
With the verb lähettää (to send), Finnish often marks the object as:

  • genitive (total object) when the action is seen as completed/whole: lähetän viestin (I will send the message)
  • partitive (partial/ongoing/indefinite) in other situations: lähetän viestiä (I’m sending a message / some message content)

In this sentence, the idea is a complete sending of one message → viestin fits.

What does sähköpostitse mean, and why that ending -itse?

sähköpostitse means by email / via email.
The ending -itse forms an adverb meaning “by way of / via (a medium)”:

  • postitse = by mail
  • puhelimitse = by phone
  • netitse = via the internet
    So sähköpostitse is a very standard way to say “via email”.
Could the word order be different? For example, can I move ennen kuin... earlier?

Yes. Finnish word order is flexible, and you can front elements for emphasis or style. For example:

  • Ennen kuin lähetän viestin sähköpostitse, varmistan, että yhteystieto on oikein.

Meaning stays basically the same; the fronted subordinate clause emphasizes the “before sending” timing.

Why is there no explicit word for “I” (minä) anywhere?

Finnish verb endings show the person and number, so the pronoun is optional:

  • Varmistan = I make sure
  • lähetän = I send

You can add minä for contrast/emphasis (e.g., “I (not someone else) make sure…”), but it’s not required.

Is yhteystieto the best choice here, or would Finns more often say something else?

yhteystieto is correct, but in many real-life contexts Finns often use:

  • sähköpostiosoite = email address (if that’s what you’re verifying)
  • yhteystiedot (plural) = contact details/contact information (as a set)

So depending on what exactly you mean to verify, Varmistan, että sähköpostiosoite on oikein... can sound even more specific and natural.