Mita kuuluu - Why?

[Violette]

Thanks for the explanation I appreciate it.

If I had looked more closely at the lesson (which I never do) I "should" have noticed the singular & plural thing. Then again it's so much easier asking you guys *s I've only heard jätkä used in the derogatory sense, ie. " se mies on senmoinen jätkä " (a ne'er do well)... not the type a guy to bring home to mother etc.

jätkän pätkä kärpäs lätkä

ty Vi.

[EP]

I remember when as a student I had a job at a construction site. I was the only female. Guys tested my stamina in many ways, and when someone finally said EP on hyvä jätkä, that was a great compliment.

[Pursuivant]

. Nobody says that nowadays.

My mother-in-law did "in company" that in Virrat in the 2000's its still the polite form thereabouts....

[Pursuivant]

EP on hyvä jätkä,

I think theres a similar expression in English, about being "one of the guys", but I wonder if it was an opposite situation would a bloke be all that happy of being "a sister"

[Rob A.]

Thats like in English everyone is a formal "you" when in Finnish you can ask "Dost thou take coffee" singular, Otatko sinä kahvia instead of a formal plural "Do you take coffee", Otatteko te kahvia. See now English abandoned the familiar already in the 17th century... and now people think its some polite form whereas its the familiar.

I think that's probably because the only place this word and its various case derivatives are encountered is in religious settings.... Which, at least with the Protestant religious denominations, are supposed to be about brotherhood and support and human kindness, but of course, for most people, are more about formality, rigidity, and "keeping up appearances"....

But depending on the place there can be a weird 3rd person polite form in Finland;
Ottaako hän lisää kahvia? Does He take more coffee?

....and English also has an awkward, annoying "polite" third person form:

"Does one take sugar in one's coffee?"...

And then there is the first person plural, "condescending we" construction.....as in:

"Have we finished our breakfast yet?" ...used with small children and old people....

[syntax]

If you want to be cheeky in Estonian, when someone asks you Kuidas käsi käib you answer with nii moodi (like this) and wave your hand.