niin ... että
So ... That
Use niin ... että to show that a quality or action is so intense that it causes a specific result. It is the Finnish equivalent of 'so... that'.
How It Works
The niin ... että construction links a cause to a result.
- The Intensifier: Niin usually precedes an adjective (niin väsynyt) or an adverb (niin nopeasti). In formal writing, niin can be replaced by siten or sillä tavalla when modifying the manner of a verb.
- The Result: The clause following että usually uses the indicative mood. Use the conditional mood for hypothetical results.
- Negative Results: Että merges with the negative verb to form etten, ettet, ettei, etc.
- Punctuation Rules: If niin modifies a specific word (split construction), place the comma before että. If niin että acts as a single unit meaning 'consequently', place the comma before niin.
- Spoken Finnish: In spoken Finnish, että is often shortened to et.
- Avoid Confusion: Do not confuse this with sekä ... että (both ... and).
Examples (5)
- Hän puhui niin hiljaa, että minun oli vaikea kuulla häntä.
He spoke so quietly that it was hard for me to hear him.
Word by Word: He spoke so quietly, that of-me was hard to-hear him.
Here 'niin' modifies the adverb 'hiljaa' (quietly) to show the degree, leading to the result of not being heard.
- Ulkona satoi niin, että kadut tulvivat.
It rained so much outside that the streets flooded.
Word by Word: Outside rained so, that streets flooded.
'Niin' can also modify a verb directly to show the intensity of an action.
- Olin niin väsynyt, etten jaksanut nousta.
I was so tired that I didn't have the energy to get up.
Word by Word: I-was so tired, that-not-I had-energy to-get-up.
When the result is negative, 'että' combines with the negative verb to form 'ettei' (here 'etten').
- Olen niin nälkäinen, että voisin syödä hevosen!
I am so hungry that I could eat a horse!
Word by Word: I-am so hungry, that I-could eat horse!
The conditional mood is used here because the result is a hypothetical exaggeration.
- Hän lähti aikaisin, niin että hän ehti junaan.
He left early, so that he made it to the train.
Word by Word: He left early, so that he reached to-train.
'Niin että' can appear together as a compound conjunction to express a consequence or purpose.
Common Mistakes
Confusing 'niin ... että' with 'sekä ... että'.
Hän on niin opettaja että lääkäri.Hän on sekä opettaja että lääkäri.Do not confuse 'niin ... että' (so ... that) with sekä ... että (both ... and). Use 'niin' for degree or result, and 'sekä' when listing two things.
Hän puhui niin, että kaikki kuulivat is fine, but niin means "in such a way" here.
Different MeaningHän puhui niin, että kaikki kuulivat.Hän puhui, niin että kaikki kuulivat.Hän puhui niin, että kaikki kuulivat means he spoke in such a way (for example loudly) that everyone heard. Hän puhui, niin että kaikki kuulivat means he spoke, so that everyone heard.
Omitting the word 'että' in result clauses.
Olin niin väsynyt, nukahdin heti.Olin niin väsynyt, että nukahdin heti.In English, 'that' is often optional (I was so tired I fell asleep), but in Finnish, että is required to connect the result to the cause.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'niin ... että' (so ... that), you first need to understand how to form a basic 'that' clause with 'että'. Since this pattern usually describes the intensity of a quality, you should also be comfortable with basic sentence structures that use adjectives to describe things.
- ettäThat-Clause (Että)
The pattern 'niin ... että' is a complex conjunction structure built upon the basic 'että' (that) clause.
Level 2 - olla + AdjectiveDescribing with Olla
This pattern is most commonly used to describe a state or quality (using 'olla' and an adjective) that leads to a specific result.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- jottaSo That (Jotta)
Often confused with 'niin... että'; 'jotta' expresses purpose (in order to) rather than a result.
Level 4 - sekä ... ettäBoth ... and
A paired conjunction meaning 'both... and', which looks similar but serves a different listing function.
Level 3 - kuinComparing with Kuin
Used with 'niin' (niin kuin) to make comparisons (as... as) rather than expressing results.
Level 2 - -stiAdverbs with -sti
Adverbs ending in -sti are very commonly used with 'niin' to describe the intensity of an action.
Level 2 - et / ku / mut / sitSpoken Linking Words
Explains how 'että' is shortened to 'et' in casual conversation.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice niin ... että in Bubblegum
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