Expressing Time Duration: The Accusative of Time
To state exactly how long an action lasts, treat the time phrase like a total object (often called the accusative of time). In standard sentences, the duration phrase takes the -n ending. Any adjectives describing the time also take the -n ending.
When an action lasts for exactly one unit of time, both the word yksi (one) and the time noun take the -n ending, becoming yhden + [noun]-n.
| We stood in the cramped elevator for one hour. | Me seisoimme ahtaassa hississä yhden tunnin. |
| The darkness lasted for one agonizing minute. | Pimeys kesti yhden tuskallisen minuutin. |
To say an action lasts for a "whole" or "entire" amount of time, use koko. The word koko is invariable (it never changes form), but the time noun following it still takes the -n ending.
| Did the repairer work for a full twenty-four hours? | Työskentelikö korjaaja koko vuorokauden? |
| We suffered from the heat for a full twenty-four hours. | Me kärsimme kuumuudesta koko vuorokauden. |
Elevator Misery
You can apply these time durations to complain about being stuck (jumissa) in a broken elevator.
| They are stuck in the elevator. | Ne on jumissa hississä. |
| We are stuck in the elevator all day, and I am desperate. | Olemme jumissa hississä koko päivän, ja olen epätoivoinen. |
To connect two subjects or qualities, use the conjunction pair sekä [A] että [B] (both [A] and [B]).
| Both the repairer and the boss are desperate. | Sekä korjaaja että pomo ovat epätoivoisia. |
| Both the heat and the darkness are agonizing. | Sekä kuumuus että pimeys ovat tuskallisia. |
