Breakdown of Kymmenen tomaattia maksaa viisi euroa.
maksaa
to cost
viisi
five
kymmenen
ten
euro
euro
tomaatti
tomato
Questions & Answers about Kymmenen tomaattia maksaa viisi euroa.
Why do we use the partitive singular form for tomaattia and euroa instead of a regular plural?
In Finnish, any number from two upwards forces the noun that follows it into the partitive singular form. That is why kymmenen (ten) changes tomaatti into tomaattia, and viisi (five) changes euro into euroa.
Why is the verb maksaa in the singular form when the subject is ten tomatoes?
When a sentence has a number as the subject, the verb is always conjugated in the third-person singular (he/she/it) form. Because of this rule, we use the singular maksaa (costs) instead of the plural form maksavat.
How do we make the partitive form for words like tomaatti and euro?
For most words ending in a single vowel, you form the partitive by simply adding an -a or -ä to the end of the basic word. Because both tomaatti and euro end in a single vowel, we just add an -a to get tomaattia and euroa.
Does the verb maksaa have another meaning besides costing?
Yes! Maksaa can mean both to cost and to pay. In this sentence, the context tells us it means costs, but if you say Minä maksan, it means I pay.
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