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Questions & Answers about Poika ui nopeasti.
How is ui formed from the basic verb uida?
uida is a Type 2 verb, which means its dictionary form ends in -da or -dä. To find the stem, you simply drop the -da, leaving ui. In earlier lessons with Type 1 verbs, you learned to double the last vowel for the 'he/she/it' form (like istuu). However, because Type 2 verb stems already end in a long vowel or a diphthong (two different vowels together), we never add an extra vowel to them. The form stays exactly as ui.
How would we make this sentence negative?
To make a negative sentence for 'he/she/it', you use the negative word ei followed by the verb's basic stem. Since the basic stem of uida is ui, 'The boy doesn't swim fast' translates to Poika ei ui nopeasti.
Why does the word for 'fast' end in -sti here?
The basic dictionary word for 'fast' or 'quick' is the adjective nopea. However, because we are describing an action (how the boy swims) rather than describing the boy himself, we need an adverb. In Finnish, you generally turn an adjective into an adverb by adding the ending -sti to its stem, which gives us nopeasti (quickly/fast).
Does ui mean 'swims' or 'swam'?
In this present tense lesson, it means 'swims'. But surprisingly, it can be both! The past tense in Finnish is usually formed by adding an -i to the stem. Because the stem ui already ends in an i, the present and past tense forms for 'he/she/it' look exactly the same. In real life conversations, you rely on context or time words (like 'yesterday') to know when the swimming happened.