milloin
When (Milloin)
Milloin is the primary way to ask 'When?' in Finnish. It is used for both direct questions and indirect questions (e.g., 'I don't know when...').
How It Works
1. Basic Usage
Milloin is an interrogative adverb used to ask about a point or period in time. It is indeclinable, meaning it does not change its form regardless of the sentence structure.
2. Milloin vs. Koska
In everyday Finnish, koska is a very common synonym for milloin. However, koska also means 'because.' In formal writing or to ensure clarity, milloin is preferred. For example, 'En tiedä, koska hän tulee' could mean 'I don't know when he is coming' or 'I don't know because he is coming.' Using milloin removes this confusion.
3. Milloin vs. Kun
A common mistake for English speakers is using kun to start a question. In Finnish, kun is only a conjunction used to link two parts of a sentence (e.g., 'I was sleeping when you called'). You must use milloin for the question word.
4. Spoken Variations
In spoken Finnish (puhekieli), you will often hear the shortened form millon. You might also see the emphatic form milloinka, though it is less common in modern neutral speech.
Examples (4)
- Milloin sinä tulet kotiin?
When are you coming home?
Word by Word: When you come home?
A standard direct question using milloin.
- En tiedä, milloin juna lähtee.
I don't know when the train leaves.
Word by Word: Not I know, when train leaves.
Milloin used in an indirect question (a subordinate clause).
- Milloin Suomen itsenäisyyspäivä on?
When is Finland's Independence Day?
Word by Word: When Finland's independence-day is?
Asking about a specific date.
- Milloin kurssi alkaa?
When does the course start?
Word by Word: When course starts?
A simple question about the start time of an event.
Common Mistakes
Using 'kun' to start a question.
Kun bussi tulee?Milloin bussi tulee?'Kun' is a conjunction (like 'while' or 'as'). To ask a question, you must use 'milloin'.
Confusing 'milloin' with 'mihin aikaan'.
Milloin kello on?Mitä kello on?'Milloin' asks about time in general. To ask 'What time is it?' or 'At what time?', specific phrases like 'Mitä kello on?' or 'Mihin aikaan?' are used.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'milloin' (when) effectively, a learner needs to be able to construct simple sentences. This requires knowledge of personal pronouns and basic verb conjugation (personal endings) to form the questions. Familiarity with other basic question words like 'mikä' helps the learner understand where the interrogative pronoun is placed in a Finnish sentence.
- -n / -t / -mme / -tte / -vat/-vätPersonal Endings
Since 'milloin' is used to ask questions involving actions, the learner needs to understand how verbs are conjugated to match the subject.
Level 1 - mikä (kysymyssana)What (Mikä)
Learning 'milloin' follows the logic of other basic interrogative pronouns like 'mikä', establishing the pattern of question-word sentence structure.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- kunWhen (Kun)
Kun is the conjunction 'when' used to link clauses, whereas milloin is the question word.
Level 2 - koskaBecause (Koska)
Koska is a synonym for milloin but also means 'because,' which can lead to ambiguity.
Level 2 - kello onTelling the Time
Used for specific clock time answers to milloin questions.
Level 1 - nyt / tänään / huomennaBasic Time Words
Common one-word answers to questions starting with milloin.
Level 1 - -na (viikonpäivät)Days with -na
The essive case (-na) is used to answer 'when' regarding days of the week.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice milloin in Bubblegum
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