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Questions & Answers about Istutteko te sisällä?
Why is it -ko in istutteko instead of -kö?
The base verb is istua (to sit). Even though the -tte ending has the neutral vowel e, the base word contains the back vowel u. Because of vowel harmony, the back vowel determines the suffix, so we add the back-vowel question clitic -ko.
Why does sisällä end in -llä instead of -lla?
The base word here is sisä (inner part), which contains the front vowel ä. Vowel harmony rules mean that any suffix we add must also use front vowels, so we use -llä.
Is the word te required here?
Not strictly. The verb ending -tte in istutteko already tells us it means "you" (plural or formal). However, Finnish speakers often keep the pronoun te for rhythm or emphasis in everyday language.
What exactly does the ending on sisällä do?
The suffix -llä (or -lla) is a location ending that usually means "on" or "at". Attached to the root sisä (inner part), it literally means "at the inner part", which translates to "inside" or "indoors" in English.