Questions & Answers about Miksi te itkette?
How would I say 'Why aren't you crying?' using the negative rule from this lesson?
You use the negative verb for te, which is ette, followed by the connegative stem of the verb. You find this stem by dropping the -n from the minä form (itken). This gives you itke. Put it together and you get: Miksi te ette itke?
What is the dictionary form of itkette, and how is it built?
The dictionary form is itkeä (to cry), which is a Verb Type 1. To conjugate it, you take the stem itke- and add the personal ending for te, which is -tte.
Does the consonant cluster tk in itkette change when we conjugate it?
No, it doesn't! Unlike combinations like kk or tt, the cluster tk is not part of the Finnish consonant gradation rules. It stays exactly the same whether it's in a strong grade or a weak grade, so the stem is always itke-.
Do I always have to use the pronoun te?
No, you can just say Miksi itkette? Because the verb ending -tte already tells us exactly who is crying (the plural 'you'), the pronoun te is optional. Using it just adds a little extra emphasis.
Could this sentence be directed at just one person?
Yes! While te is the plural 'you', it is also used as the formal, polite singular 'you' in Finnish. If you are speaking respectfully to someone you don't know well, you would use this exact sentence.
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