että

That-Clause (Että)

Level 2

The word että is the Finnish equivalent of the English conjunction 'that'. It connects a main clause to a subordinate clause to report what someone said, thought, or believed.

How It Works

The conjunction että is one of the most frequent words in Finnish. It serves several key functions:

  • Reported Speech and Thought: It introduces what someone says or thinks. For example: Hän sanoo, että... (He says that...).
  • Negative Contractions: When the following clause is negative, että merges with the negative verb. You must become proficient in these forms: etten (that I don't), ettet (that you don't), ettei (that he/she/it doesn't), etc.
  • The 'se, että' Construction: If the main verb requires a specific case (like verbs governing the elative), you must use the pronoun se in that case before the että clause. Example: Pidän siitä, että... (I like [the fact] that...).
  • Tense Preservation: Finnish does not 'backshift' tenses. If the original statement was 'I am sick', the reported version remains: Hän sanoi, että hän on sairas.
  • Spoken Finnish: In spoken Finnish, että is frequently shortened to et.

Examples (6)

  1. Tiedän, että hän asuu Helsingissä.

    I know that he lives in Helsinki.

    Word by Word: I-know, that he lives in-Helsinki.

    A standard use of 'että' to report a known fact. Note the mandatory comma.

  2. Äiti sanoi, että ruoka on valmista.

    Mother said that the food is ready.

    Word by Word: Mother said, that food is ready.

    Notice that 'on' (is) stays in the present tense even though the mother spoke in the past.

  3. Pelkään, ettei hän tule.

    I am afraid that he is not coming.

    Word by Word: I-fear, that-not-he come.

    When the 'that' clause is negative, 'että' merges with the negative verb to form 'ettei'.

  4. Pidän siitä, että täällä on hiljaista.

    I like (the fact) that it is quiet here.

    Word by Word: I-like it-from, that here is quiet.

    The pronoun se (siitä) is used to anchor the clause because the verb 'pitää' requires the elative case.

  5. Olin niin väsynyt, että nukahdin heti.

    I was so tired that I fell asleep immediately.

    Word by Word: I-was so tired, that I-fell-asleep immediately.

    This demonstrates the niin ... että construction expressing a result.

  6. Mä luulen, et se on kotona.

    I think that he/she is at home.

    Word by Word: I think, that it is at-home.

    An example of 'että' shortened to 'et' in spoken Finnish.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting 'että' like the English 'that'.

    Tiedän hän tulee.
    Tiedän, että hän tulee.

    In English, you can say 'I know he is coming.' In Finnish, you must include 'että' and the comma, otherwise the sentence is grammatically broken.

  • Hän sanoi, että hän oli väsynyt is fine, but it says he was tired at the time.

    Different MeaningHän sanoi, että hän oli väsynyt.
    Hän sanoi, että hän on väsynyt.

    Oli says he was tired at the time he spoke. On says he is still tired. Choose the tense that matches what you mean.

  • Forgetting to contract 'että' with the negative verb.

    Luulen, että hän ei tule.
    Luulen, ettei hän tule.

    While 'että hän ei' is technically possible in very formal writing, it is standard to use the contracted forms: etten, ettet, ettei, ettemme, ettette, etteivät.

How It Connects

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ettäLevel 2That-Clause (Että)

Learn This First

To use 'että' (that), you need to be able to form complete sentences with conjugated verbs, as 'että' introduces a new clause with its own subject and verb. Understanding basic sentence structure and how simple conjunctions link ideas is necessary before moving to subordinate clauses.

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Words in This Pattern

että