Marko Haavisto & Poutahaukat - Paha vaanii

[j.petsku]

Ollessani sanomatta kiitos sounds like... something made up after extensive reading of grammar book

How would I say "guilty as charged" in Finnish?

[Jukka Aho]

I'm wondering if could could also say: Sanoessani, olet kohtelias.="When I say thank you, you are polite." ...??..I don't see why not...I did a bit of a Google Search, but the results were "messy"... ]

"Sanoessani kiitos, olet kohtelias!"... you could say that, but how am I supposed to be polite while you say thanks? If you mean that I keep my mouth shut, then why not say so?

I suppose the statement would require some context....

Sanoessani kiitos, olet kohteliaampi.... or maybe I would just have to say the whole thing differently:

Jos sanon kiitos, olet kohtelias/kohteliaampi....

The former is an improvement to the original suggestion, but the latter sounds better.

The problem with “Sanoessani kiitos olet kohtelias!” is that it would be understood as “At (during) the moment when I say ‘thanks’ you are polite.”

First of all, that is a rather strange thing to say as it suggests the sudden fit of politeness would only last for as long as it takes for you to say “thanks”: it would begin at that exact moment you begin uttering the word and then stop on its tracks immediately after the word has died on your lips.

Secondly, it also sounds a bit too much like “a statement of fact” or “a universal truth”... or even resembles a bluntly formulated direct “order” or “instruction” of some sort... “now hear this; this is how you are supposed to act during the time it takes for me to say ‘thanks’ to you – and by the way, it’s nonnegotiable.”

Kiittämällä saat parempaa asiakaspalvelua.

[BoxerDanc]

Terve kaikki:)

Slowly but surely, I'm proceeding with the song analysis. Here go the next two lines:
Alttiina oon silloin kun on mieli apea
Rakkaan luokse helpompaa on pahaa paeta

Alttiina oon silloin kun on mieli apea
Alttiina oon - [you're] susceptible [to it] ("altis" requires essive when you want to say that someone is susceptible, right?)
silloin kun - then when (is it common combination or is "silloin" here just for the rhyme's sake? wouldn't "kun" alone be sufficient?)
on mieli apea - is mind sad (again, is it common to say that someone's mind is sad, not just that someone?)

Rakkaan luokse helpompaa on pahaa paeta
Rakkaan luokse - to the beloved
helpompaa - easier (but why partitive?)
on pahaa paeta - is from evil to escape

[It] is easier to escape from evil to the beloved? It doesn't make much sense to me. Something seems to be missing.

[Jukka Aho]

Alttiina oon silloin kun on mieli apea
Alttiina oon - [you're] susceptible [to it]

Actually, “I’m susceptible”. Not “you’re”.

I haven’t seen the film but the lyrics (and some comments on the web) seem to suggest the song is written from the viewpoint of an ex-alcoholic... or someone who is in the danger of developing a drinking problem if he doesn’t keep himself in check.

("altis" requires essive when you want to say that someone is susceptible, right?)

Hän on altis ulkopuolisille vaikutteille.
“He is susceptible to outside influence.” (That’s the way how he is.)

Hän on alttiina ulkopuolisille vaikutteille.
“He is susceptible to outside influence.” (That’s the situation in which he currently is.)

silloin kun - then when (is it common combination or is "silloin" here just for the rhyme's sake? wouldn't "kun" alone be sufficient?)

Silloin kun is a quite common phrasing. For all practical purposes, it could nearly always be replaced with a mere kun but it emphasizes the “at the (specific) point in time when” aspect.

on mieli apea - is mind sad (again, is it common to say that someone's mind is sad, not just that someone?)

Apea means “depressed, glum, doleful, in low spirits”, not merely sad.

Expressions such as paha mieli and hyvä mieli are quite common. They actually refer to mieliala (“spirits”, “mood”; whether you’re feeling good or sad/hurt about something) rather than “mind” as such.

I think it would be more common to say “hänellä oli apea olo”, “hän oli apeissa tunnelmissa” than “hänellä oli apea mieli”, though.

Rakkaan luokse helpompaa on pahaa paeta
Rakkaan luokse - to the beloved
helpompaa - easier (but why partitive?)
on pahaa paeta - is from evil to escape

[It] is easier to escape from evil to the beloved? It doesn't make much sense to me. Something seems to be missing.

“It’s easier to escape from evil to the vicinity/place/proximity (company) of the (be)loved one.”
“It’s easier to escape from evil to the company of the one you love.”
“It’s easier to escape from evil to the bosom of the one you love.”

[BoxerDanc]

Thanks, Jukka.

Actually, “I’m susceptible”. Not “you’re”.

Oops, sorry about that.

Now only that "helpompaa", why is it in partitive?

[Jukka Aho]

Now only that "helpompaa", why is it in partitive?

The difference is quite subtle. The lyricist could have used either helpompi or helpompaa without changing the meaning in any significant way.

On helpompi paeta.
“It is easier to flee.” (It is easier, period. No doubt about it.)

On helpompaa paeta.
“It is easier to flee.” (It is easier at least to a degree; in some relative sense.)

Here, the choice of a case could carry a bit more meaning:

Elämästäsi tulee helpompi, jos noudatat neuvojani.
“Your life will be easier if you follow my advice.” (Your entire life, as a whole, will be easier, period. Sounds a bit ominous... as if the speaker would see a vision of your entire life laid bare before him, from the present day to your last breath.)

Elämästäsi tulee helpompaa, jos noudatat neuvojani.
“Your life will be easier if you follow my advice.” (Your life will be easier to a degree; in some relative sense.)

[BoxerDanc]

Thanks!

Hey, it's really subtle. Somehow, Finnish is beginning to remind me Japanese (which I'm also familiar with a bit), especially when I encounter subtleties like this (partitive case in general is very subtle, hey, even when saying "I love you" Finns use partitive, that actually astonished me quite a bit). They (the Japanese) for example have like 10+ ways to say "me" depending on who you're talking to...