Questions & Answers about Miksi hänen enonsa lähtee?
Why do we use both hänen and the -nsa ending on enonsa?
For third-person possession (his, her, or their), standard Finnish requires both the genitive pronoun (hänen) and the possessive suffix (-nsa). Unlike words for my or your, you cannot drop the pronoun here.
Why is the possessive suffix -nsa instead of -nsä?
Vowel harmony determines the ending. The word eno contains the back vowel o, so it must take the back-vowel suffix -nsa instead of the front-vowel -nsä. The vowel e is neutral and allows the back vowel to dictate the ending.
Could I use the other third-person possessive ending here, making it hänen enoon?
No. The alternative third-person ending (doubling the last vowel and adding n) is only allowed when the noun already has a case ending. Because eno is in the basic nominative case here, you must use -nsa.
Does eno mean any uncle?
No, Finnish distinguishes between sides of the family. eno specifically means a maternal uncle (mother's brother). If it were the father's brother, the word would be setä, making the phrase hänen setänsä.
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