# Glass can be dangerous



## y2drew

Hei

I'd like to know how to say "Glass can be dangerous" in Finnish, in the context that you're telling someone to be careful of it. I think glass is lasi and dangerous is vaarallinen. My Finnish isn't all that good! Kiitos!


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## DrWatson

You've translated the words correctly, putting them together, however, can be a tougher task.

Glass can be dangerous = *Lasi voi olla vaarallista*


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## y2drew

Thanks DrWatson - very much appreciated!

Also out of interest, could I say something like "kirjat voi olla vaarallista" for "books can be dangerous" or say "lehmät voi olla hyödyllista" ("cows can be useful")


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## DrWatson

y2drew said:


> Thanks DrWatson - very much appreciated!
> 
> Also out of interest, could I say something like "kirjat voi olla vaarallista" for "books can be dangerous" or say "lehmät voi olla hyödyllista" ("cows can be useful")


Your attempt is very good. It's not completely correct, but you have understood the principle well. I'll translate the sentences correctly and tell what's wrong with your sentences.

Books can be dangerous = *Kirjat voivat olla vaarallisia*
Cows can be useful = *Lehmät voivat olla hyödyllisiä*

*Voi* is 3rd person singular, *voivat* is 3rd person plural of "can", because unlike in English, Finnish auxiliary verbs are conjugated too.

*Vaarallista* and* hyödyllistä* are in partitive singular case, but since the subject is plural, the adjectives describing them also need to be. *Vaarallisia* and *hyödyllisiä* are therefore partitive plural case. Also, the final letter in *hyödyllisiä* needs to be *ä*, not *a*, due to vowel harmony. The word *hyödyllinen* only contains front (*y, ö*) and middle (*i, e*) vowels, thus it requires the frontal "version" of the partitive case ending.


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## y2drew

Wow - great answer. So if you pluralize the subject, you have to pluralize the verb and the adjective too. Got it.

Thanks again!


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