Questions & Answers about Ruoka on vielä padassa.
What is the base dictionary form of padassa, and why does it have a 'd'?
The base word is pata (pot). When we add the "in" ending -ssa, the word goes from having an open syllable (pa-ta) to a closed one (pa-das-sa). This triggers consonant gradation, making the strong consonant t weaken into a d.
Does the 'k' in ruoka undergo consonant gradation too?
Not in this sentence! Consonant gradation usually happens when an ending is added that closes the final syllable. Here, ruoka is the subject of the sentence and is in its basic, unaltered dictionary form. If you wanted to say "in the food", it would become ruoassa (the strong k drops out).
Why do we use -ssa on the end of padassa instead of -ssä?
This is a quick refresher on vowel harmony! The word pata only has back vowels (a), so any endings attached to it must also use back vowels. Therefore, we use -ssa instead of -ssä.
I've learned that uncountable things like food are often partitive (ruokaa). Why is it ruoka here?