Questions & Answers about Lapsen täytyy mennä päiväkotiin.
Why does päiväkotiin end in -iin when the lesson mentions -hVn or -seen endings?
The illative ("into") ending changes depending on the word's shape. For most words ending in a single short vowel, like koti, you simply double that final vowel and add -n. This turns koti into kotiin, and päiväkoti into päiväkotiin. The -hVn and -seen endings are used for other word types, such as those ending in two vowels.
Why is the word for child in the genitive form (lapsen) instead of the basic form (lapsi)?
In Finnish, expressing "must" or "have to" uses a special sentence structure. The verb täytyy requires the person who has to do the action to be in the genitive case (ending in -n). That is why "the child must" translates to lapsen täytyy rather than "lapsi täytyy".
Why doesn't the verb mennä change to match the subject?
Because of the "must" structure. When you use täytyy, the action verb that follows it must always be in its basic dictionary form (the infinitive). Therefore, we use mennä (to go) exactly as it appears in the dictionary.
What is the literal meaning of the word päiväkoti?
It is a compound word made of päivä (day) and koti (home). A "day-home" is the standard Finnish term for a daycare or kindergarten.
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