# To have the upper hand



## Jcharlie

Hi everybody! Merry Christmas!

Do somebody know how I can say in finnish something like

to have the upper hand

German auf längeren Hebel sitzen
Italian avere il coltello dalla parte del manico

Kiitos


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## Grumpy Old Man

As you have provided no context, no sentence, I can only offer these: _olla voitolla, olla etulyöntiasemassa, omata etu_ and so forth. With _*get* the upper hand_ the translation would be different.

GOM


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## Jcharlie

Thank you very much. I think _olla etulyöntiasemassa_ is very good suggestion. I try to make some sentences now

Valtapeliasemassa sinun taytyy aina nuodattaa ihmisiä, jotka ovat_ etulyöntiasemassa_ (tai vallalla)

In a power structure you have always to obbey the people those have the upper hand


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## Grumpy Old Man

Your suggestion isn't particularly good Finnish. _Sinun_ is wrongly used and _noudattaa ihmisiä_ is wrong. Perhaps: _Valtapelissä on aina tarkkailtava ihmisiä, joilla on etulyöntiasema._

GOM


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## Jcharlie

Thank you: your suggestion is very interesting. Is it possible also to say

Valtapelissa täytyy alistua ihmisille, _joilla on etulyöntiasema?_

_ist it right if I say:_

_you must obbey = sinun täytyy totella _

_and in my sentence perhaps is bettere unpersonal form_


_täytyy (pitää) totella ihmisiä, joilla on etulyöntiasema?_

_Thanks for patience._


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## Grumpy Old Man

"Valtapelissa täytyy alistua ihmisille, _joilla on etulyöntiasema?"
_There's nothing ungrammatical in the sentence but _alistua_ is a very strong word. A Finn might prefer _täytyy totella ihmisiä..._

"_you must ob_b_ey = sinun täytyy totella"
_Correct. _Sinä_ isn't used impersonally in Finnish, though.

"_täytyy (pitää) totella ihmisiä, joilla on etulyöntiasema?"
_Good.

GOM


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