Use of -ko/-kö in questions

[Satish]

Reading “Colloquial Finnish” by Daniel Abondolo, I came across this text regarding the use of –ko/-kö in questions:

You answer in the affirmative by repeating the verb form , if this is what is being questioned:
Oletteko te suomalainen? Are you Finnish?
Olen. Yes.

If the yes/no-question suffix –ko/-kö was added to any word other than the verb, you say niin; it is more polite to repeat the question word as well:

Ruotsalainenko sä olet? Are you Swedish?
Niin, ruotsalainen. Yes, I am.

The second example seems to translate as “Are you really Swedish?”. Have I got the sense correct?

Also, I have not heard this kind of question so far in everyday speech, where the –ko is added to something other than a verb. Is this kind of form common?

[007]

I have not heard this kind of question so far in everyday speech, where the –ko is added to something other than a verb.

Niinkö?

if you look around, you will find many such examples; näinko? montako? paljonko? etc. But the interesting is that it seems any word can be made int a question by adding ko/kö in the end.

It's more like
so, you are a swede? -> Ruotsalainenko sä olet?

(that's my best shot)

[Pursuivant]

I wouldn't answer "Niin", rather Joo/En.
Or in fact: Ja vitut olen! or Äitis oli ruotsalainen kun sua teki!

[Vellamo]

A couple of everyday speech examples:

Tyhmäkö sä oot?
Vittuuko sä tuijotat?

Or some such. For some reason both the examples I could think of are quite rude...

[Pursuivant]

For some reason both the examples I could think of are quite rude...

You've taken this Finnish course no doubt

[Satish]

For some reason both the examples I could think of are quite rude...

You've taken this Finnish course no doubt

Indeed! These scholarly gentlemen were my first introduction to Finnish. They had a wonderful "graduation exercise" where you had to decipher some non-stop $#@$#@$#% with beautiful classical music in the background. Unfortunately I can't find it anymore on youtube..

[jahasjahas]

Let's have an example conversation:

- "Terve!"
- "Vad säger du?!"
- "Ruotsalainenko sä olet?"

= "So you're Swedish, eh?" or "What are you, Swedish?"

[jahasjahas]

And as for the "yes/no questions are answered by repeating the verb, not by saying yes or no" thing... that's how the language used to work, but of course modern speakers answer "kyllä/joo" or "ei", possibly combined with the verb ("oletko sä suomalainen?" "joo, oon").

[Pursuivant]

And as for the "yes/no questions are answered by repeating the verb, not by saying yes or no" thing... that's how the language used to work

OK, so how do you answer if you're not Swedish?
Olematon?

[jahasjahas]

"En ole."

En/et/ei/emme/ette/eivät is technically a (part of a?) verb, I think.

[Rob A.]

And as for the "yes/no questions are answered by repeating the verb, not by saying yes or no" thing... that's how the language used to work

OK, so how do you answer if you're not Swedish?
Olematon?

Olematonko?...=??...Am I not existing?"...???

”Ajattelen, siis olen..."....En ajattele, siis olematon.......

"En ole ruotsalainen, siis olematon....."

[Pursuivant]

menin dieetille ja nyt olen olematon

Not really, its just used to denote something that doesn't exist, "non-existing". Can't say about a person like that. You can be treated as if you were non-existent though. Or then you have, or rather you don't have... Minulla on olemattomat lihakset. Then again something alive that exists, but you don't know what it is, is an olento, like avaruusolento, pieni vihreä mies...

[jahasjahas]

Oskari Olematon, Nollakatu nolla
Jos et tiedä, niin anna olla
Läskiset portaat ja luurankohissi
oven päällä lukee että Oskarin tissi