Breakdown of Tapasimme tuttavan tungoksessa, ja tykkäsimme tästä bändistä.
tämä
this
ja
and
tavata
to meet
tykätä
to like (colloquial)
Questions & Answers about Tapasimme tuttavan tungoksessa, ja tykkäsimme tästä bändistä.
How do we build the past tense forms tapasimme and tykkäsimme from their dictionary forms?
Both tavata (to meet) and tykätä (to like) are Type 4 verbs. To form their past tense, you first find the strong stem (tapaa-, tykkää-), drop the final vowel, and attach the past tense marker -si-. Finally, add the personal ending, which is -mme for "we".
Why does tavata change to tapasimme with a "p", while tykätä gets a double "k" in tykkäsimme?
Type 4 verbs use reverse consonant gradation. Their dictionary forms have the "weak" consonant grade (v in tavata, single k in tykätä). However, when you conjugate them in the past tense, they switch to the "strong" grade. This is why the v strengthens to p, and the single k strengthens to a double kk.
Why does the word for acquaintance, tuttava, end in -n here?
It is the object of the sentence. In Finnish, when you do something to a whole object and the action is completed, the object takes the accusative case, which looks exactly like the genitive ending -n. Because we met one specific person, tuttava becomes tuttavan.
Why do we say tästä bändistä instead of just using the basic words for "this band"?