kysymysosaa

Kysymysosaa is a term used in Finnish linguistics to describe the part of a clause that carries the interrogative function. The word is formed from kysymys (question) and osa (part) and is used to discuss which element in a sentence marks it as a question and how that element is realized in Finnish grammar.

The kysymysosa can appear in several forms. One common realization is the kysymyssana, or interrogative word, such as mikä, mikä, kuka, missä, millainen, mitä, miksi, milloin, miten, which function as the main interrogative element in wh-questions like Missä asut? or Miksi hän tuli? Another route is the question particle -ko or -kö, which attaches to a word or the finite verb to signal a yes–no question, as in Tuletko? or Onko se oikea vastaus? In some cases a wh-word co-occurs with the -ko/-kö particle, producing combinations typical of Finnish interrogatives.

In syntax, the kysymysosa is often the focal point of the question and interacts with word order. Wh-questions commonly place the interrogative word at the front of the clause, while yes–no questions rely on the particle or on verb inflection to mark the question. Spoken Finnish also uses intonation to signal questions, which can reduce reliance on a dedicated syntactic marker in informal speech.

The term is primarily used in descriptive grammar to categorize the interrogative component of sentences. It is closely related to concepts such as kysymyssana (interrogative word) and kysymyslause (interrogative clause), helping to distinguish the element that marks a sentence as a question from the rest of the clause.