Questions & Answers about He lähtevät Joensuuhun tänään.
Why is the ending -hun used to make Joensuuhun?
The town name Joensuu ends in a long vowel (two of the same vowel). When a word ends in a long vowel, the illative ('into' or 'to') case uses the ending -hVn, where 'V' is a copy of that last vowel. Since the last vowel is 'u', we add -hun to get Joensuuhun.
In English we say 'leaving FOR Joensuu'. Why does Finnish use the illative ('into') case here?
Finnish verbs often demand a specific case for connected words. The verb lähteä (to leave) requires the destination to be in the illative case. So, while English speakers 'leave for' a place, Finnish speakers literally 'leave into' or 'leave to' a place.
Why does the verb lähteä become lähtevät in this sentence?
Lähteä is the basic dictionary form. Because the subject is he (they), the verb needs the 'they' ending, which is -vat or -vät. We use -vät because of vowel harmony: the front vowels 'ä' and 'e' in the verb root mean the ending must also use the front vowel 'ä'.
Is Joensuu a compound word? It looks like two words joined together.
Yes, it is! Finnish place names are often very literal. It combines joen (the 'of' form of joki, meaning river) and suu (meaning mouth). So Joensuu literally means 'mouth of the river'.
Learn He lähtevät Joensuuhun tänään and more in Finnish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free