Questions & Answers about Onko tämä ruoassa?
Why is the word for 'in the food' ruoassa instead of 'ruokassa'?
The base word for food is ruoka. When we add the inessive ending -ssa (meaning 'in'), it triggers consonant gradation. The single k drops out completely, changing the stem from ruoka- to ruoa- before adding the ending.
Why does ruoassa use the -ssa ending instead of -ssä?
This is due to vowel harmony. The word ruoka contains the back vowels u, o, and a. Because of this, any endings attached to it must also use the back vowel a, so we add -ssa.
How does onko work to form a question here?
The word on means 'is'. By attaching the question particle -ko to it, it turns the verb into a yes/no question ('Is...?'). The word with the question particle is placed at the very beginning of the sentence.
Could I say 'Onko se ruoassa?' instead of 'Onko tämä ruoassa?'?
Yes, but the meaning changes slightly. Tämä means 'this' (something right here that you are pointing out), while se means 'it' (something previously mentioned).
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