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Tämä kohta on epäselvä, joten kysyn opettajalta huomenna.

Tämä kohta on epäselvä, joten kysyn opettajalta huomenna.
This point is unclear, so I will ask the teacher tomorrow.

Breakdown of Tämä kohta on epäselvä, joten kysyn opettajalta huomenna.

minä
I
olla
to be
tämä
this
huomenna
tomorrow
joten
so
kysyä
to ask
-lta
from
epäselvä
unclear
kohta
point
opettaja
teacher
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Questions & Answers about Tämä kohta on epäselvä, joten kysyn opettajalta huomenna.

What does kohta mean here, and why does Finnish say Tämä kohta instead of just Tämä?

Kohta literally means point/spot/section. In this context it’s like “this part/this point (in the text/in what we’re discussing).”
Finnish often makes the reference clearer by naming the thing: Tämä kohta = “this point/section.” You can say just Tämä on epäselvä (“This is unclear”), but tämä kohta is more specific about what exactly is unclear.

Why is the adjective epäselvä in that form? Why not something like epäselvää or epäselvän?

Because epäselvä is a predicative adjective describing the subject tämä kohta, and it agrees with it in number and case.

  • tämä kohta is nominative singular, so the adjective is nominative singular: on epäselvä.
    Forms like epäselvää (partitive) are used in different constructions, e.g. Tämä on epäselvää can be heard, but it tends to mean something like “This is unclear (in a more general/abstract way)” and depends on what tämä refers to.
How does on epäselvä work grammatically? Where is the “is”?

on is the 3rd person singular of olla (“to be”). Finnish uses it like English is/are with a complement:

  • Tämä kohta on epäselvä = “This point is unclear.”
    So on is the “is,” and epäselvä is the complement (a predicate adjective).
What does joten mean, and why is there a comma before it?

joten means so / therefore, introducing a consequence: “X, so Y.”
It commonly comes after a comma because it links two clauses:

  • Tämä kohta on epäselvä, joten kysyn… = “This point is unclear, so I’ll ask…”
    In Finnish, commas are generally used to separate main clauses, and joten often behaves like a connector that follows a clause boundary.
Why is it kysyn with no minä? Is the subject “I” really there?

Yes—kysyn is the 1st person singular present tense of kysyä (“to ask”), so the ending already tells you it’s I ask / I will ask.
Finnish often drops the pronoun because it’s redundant:

  • (Minä) kysyn opettajalta huomenna.
    Adding minä is possible, but it usually adds emphasis/contrast (e.g., “I will ask (not someone else)”).
Why is it opettajalta? What case is that, and what does it add?

opettajalta is the ablative case (ending -lta/-ltä), often used for “from/off” and also for asking someone for information:

  • kysyä joltakulta = “to ask someone (for something)” (literally “ask from someone”)
    So kysyn opettajalta is the standard way to say “I’ll ask the teacher.”
Could it also be kysyn opettajaa? What’s the difference?

It can be, but it changes the feel/structure.

  • kysyn opettajalta focuses on the person as the source of the answer (very common for “ask the teacher”).
  • kysyn opettajaa treats opettajaa as a direct object (partitive). It can sound like “I’m questioning/interrogating the teacher” or “I’m asking for the teacher” depending on context, so for “ask the teacher (a question),” opettajalta is usually the safer, more idiomatic choice.
Why is huomenna at the end? Can it move?

Huomenna (“tomorrow”) is a time adverb, and Finnish word order is flexible. End position is very natural, but you can move it for emphasis:

  • Huomenna kysyn opettajalta. (emphasizes tomorrow)
  • Kysyn huomenna opettajalta. (still fine; emphasis can shift slightly)
    The core meaning stays the same; the placement mainly affects what feels highlighted.
How do I pronounce epäselvä and opettajalta? Anything tricky?

A few key points:

  • Stress is almost always on the first syllable: EPäselvä, OPettajalta, HUomenna.
  • ä is like the vowel in English cat (but cleaner/shorter): epä-.
  • Double consonants matter in Finnish, but here you mainly see them in opettaja (single t, so no long stop).
  • -lta is a clear ending: opettaja-lta (think “opettaja + lta” as one unit).