Breakdown of Minä valitsin numeron, koska salasana ei ole sana.
olla
to be
minä
I
koska
because
sana
word
ei
no / not (en, et, ei, emme, ette, eivät)
valita
to choose
numero
number
salasana
password
Questions & Answers about Minä valitsin numeron, koska salasana ei ole sana.
How do we get valitsin from the dictionary form valita?
Valita is a Type 5 verb. To form the past tense, you first find the present tense stem by dropping the -a and adding -se-, giving us valitse-. Then, for the past tense, the -e- changes to -i-, making the past stem valitsi-. Finally, add the personal ending -n for "I", resulting in valitsin.
Why is numero written as numeron with an -n at the end?
Numeron is the direct object of the verb valitsin. Because you completed the action of choosing one specific number, the object takes the genitive-accusative ending -n.
Is salasana a compound word?
Yes! It is put together from sala (secret) and sana (word). So a "secret word" translates perfectly to a password.
Negative sentences usually force words into the partitive case. Why is sana not in the partitive?
That rule applies to direct objects, but here sana is a predicative (it just states what the subject is). With the verb olla (to be), a singular noun stays in its basic nominative form, even in negative sentences like ei ole sana.
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