Pidän matkakortin mukana, etten joudu ostamaan lippua pysäkiltä.

I keep the travel card with me so that I don’t have to buy a ticket at the stop.

Breakdown of Pidän matkakortin mukana, etten joudu ostamaan lippua pysäkiltä.

• minä: I
• ostaa: to buy
• lippu: the ticket
• pysäkki: the stop
• matkakortti: the travel card
• pitää: to keep
• -ltä: from/off
• mukana: with (me); along with
• etten: so that I don't
• joutua: to have to; to end up (doing something)

Questions & Answers about Pidän matkakortin mukana, etten joudu ostamaan lippua pysäkiltä.

Why is it pidän and not something like “I like” (as in pidän matkakortista)?

Finnish pitää has two common patterns:

• pitää + -sta/-stä = to like: Pidän matkakortista = I like the travel card.
• pitää + object (often with an adverb like mukana, kotona, taskussa) = to keep / to hold / to have: Pidän matkakortin mukana = I keep the travel card with me.

So here pidän means I keep, not I like.

Why is matkakortin in the -n form?

Matkakortin is the object of pidän in the “keep” meaning. In Finnish, a total/definite object is often in the genitive (-n) in singular (sometimes called “accusative-genitive” in learner materials).

You’re talking about a specific item (your card), and the action is understood as a complete/controlled action (keep it with me), so matkakortin fits.

What exactly does mukana mean here, and why isn’t there a separate word for “with me”?

Mukana means along, with (someone), carried along. Finnish often omits an explicit minun kanssani / with me if it’s obvious from context.

• Pidän matkakortin mukana = I keep the travel card on me / with me (carrying it along).

If you really want to specify “with me,” you could add it, but it’s usually unnecessary:

• Pidän matkakortin mukanani. (I keep the card with me.)

What is etten and how is it formed?

Etten is a very common contraction:

• että
  • en → etten

It introduces a purpose/avoidance idea here: so that I don’t… / in order not to…

So:

• …, etten joudu … = …, so that I won’t end up having to …

Why does Finnish use etten instead of something like “not to” (an infinitive)?

Finnish often expresses in order not to… using an että-clause with a negative verb:

• Teen näin, etten… = I do this so that I don’t…

An infinitive-like structure exists in some contexts (e.g., välttääkseni = in order to avoid), but the että/en pattern is extremely common, natural, and flexible.

What does joudun mean, and why that verb here?

Joutua means to end up (having to), to be forced to, to find oneself having to do something—often with an unwanted nuance.

So etten joudu ostamaan… implies:

• so that I won’t end up having to buy… (against my preference)

It’s a natural choice when you want to avoid an annoying necessity.

Why is it ostamaan and not ostaa?

After joutua, Finnish typically uses the 3rd infinitive illative form: -maan/-mään.

• joutua tekemään = to end up having to do

So:

• joudun ostamaan = I end up having to buy

Compare:

• alan ostaa (I start to buy) uses a different structure, but joutua strongly prefers -maan/-mään.

Why is lippua in the partitive, not lipun?

Ostaa commonly takes the partitive when the object is indefinite or understood as “some/ a ticket” as a type of purchase, especially in everyday speech:

• ostaa lippua = to buy a ticket (a typical purchase, not emphasizing a particular known ticket)

lipun (genitive/total object) is also possible in some contexts and can sound more definite/complete (buy the ticket / buy one specific ticket). But lippua is very natural for “buy a ticket” generally.

What does pysäkiltä mean, and why the ending -ltä?

Pysäkiltä means from the stop (bus/tram stop). The ending -ltä/-ltä is the ablative case, often used for:

• from a surface or point/place (conceptually “from off” something)

So:

• ostaa lippua pysäkiltä = buy a ticket from the stop (e.g., from a machine or vendor located at the stop).

Is the word order flexible here? Could I say Etten joudu ostamaan… pidän matkakortin mukana?

Finnish word order is fairly flexible, but this sentence has a very neutral, natural order:

• Main clause first: Pidän matkakortin mukana
• Purpose clause second: etten joudu ostamaan…

Starting with etten… is possible but sounds marked and usually needs context, because the etten-clause depends on the main clause for meaning. In normal standalone speech/writing, keeping the main clause first is best.