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Yksi omena maksaa vain kaksi euroa.

Yksi omena maksaa vain kaksi euroa.
One apple costs only two euros.
From Lesson 22:Quantities with numbers (kaksi autoa)·Finnish

Breakdown of Yksi omena maksaa vain kaksi euroa.

maksaa
to cost
yksi
one
kaksi
two
omena
apple
vain
only
euro
euro

Questions & Answers about Yksi omena maksaa vain kaksi euroa.

Why is omena in its basic form, but euroa has an -a at the end?
This is the main rule for numbers in Finnish! The number one (yksi) keeps the noun in its basic form (omena). However, all numbers from two upwards (like kaksi) require the following noun to be in the partitive form. That is why euro becomes euroa.
Wait, why is euroa in the singular when we are talking about two of them?
In English, we use plural nouns after numbers (two euros). In Finnish, numbers greater than one always take the partitive singular form of the noun. You can think of it as literally saying 'two of a euro'.
Can the verb maksaa mean anything else?
Yes! The verb maksaa means both 'to cost' and 'to pay' depending on the context. Here, since an apple cannot pay for anything, it clearly means 'costs'.
Where do I place vain in a sentence?
The word vain (only or just) is usually placed right before the word or phrase it focuses on. Here, it emphasizes the low price, so it goes right before kaksi euroa.

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