Breakdown of Nämä vanhat autot ajavat keskustaan.
auto
car
nämä
these
vanha
old
ajaa
to drive
keskusta
the city center
Questions & Answers about Nämä vanhat autot ajavat keskustaan.
Why is the word for old written as vanhat here instead of vanha?
In Finnish, adjectives must match the noun they describe. Because the noun autot (cars) is plural (ending in -t), the adjective vanha must also become plural by adding a -t, making it vanhat.
Does nämä follow the same matching rule?
Yes! Just like adjectives, pointing words like this or that must match the noun. Nämä (these) is the plural form of tämä (this). A single car would be tämä vanha auto, but for multiple cars, every word gets a plural ending: nämä vanhat autot.
Why does the verb end in -vat (ajavat)?
Verbs must match who or what is doing the action. Since the subject is the plural autot (which acts like they), the verb ajaa (to drive) takes the third-person plural ending -vat, becoming ajavat.
What does the -an ending on keskustaan do?
That ending means to or into. To say you are going to the city center (keskusta), you double the final vowel and add an -n, creating keskustaan.
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