Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Finnish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Käänny oikealle.
How do we form the command käänny?
Käänny comes from the Type 1 verb kääntyä (to turn). To make a command for one person, you just take the "I" form of the verb and drop the final -n. "I turn" is minä käännyn, so dropping the -n leaves us with the command käänny.
Why does the -nt- in kääntyä change to -nn- in the command käänny?
This happens because of consonant gradation. The command form is built from the "I" form (käännyn), which uses the weak stem. The consonant combination nt softens to nn when we conjugate it into the "I" form, and the command form keeps this softened stem.
Why does the word oikea (right) have the -lle ending here?
The ending -lle is the allative case, which indicates movement "onto" or "to" something. In Finnish, when you tell someone to move or turn in a specific direction like right or left, you use this ending. So oikealle means "to the right".
Do I need to say sinä (you) before the command?
No, you usually leave sinä out. The command form käänny already has "you" built into its meaning. Adding sinä would sound unnatural unless you are pointing someone out specifically, like saying "YOU turn right, and I will go left".