Breakdown of Etkö kertonut lääkärille kivusta?
ei
no / not (negative verb)
lääkäri
doctor
kertoa
to tell
kipu
pain
Questions & Answers about Etkö kertonut lääkärille kivusta?
How is the negative question 'Did you not tell' formed here?
You attach the question particle -kö directly to the negative verb et (you don't), creating etkö. Then, you add the past active participle of the main verb, kertonut.
Why is there no past tense -i- marker in kertonut?
In negative past tense sentences, the main verb drops the normal past tense -i-. Instead, it uses the past participle form, which usually ends in -nut or -nyt. For kertoa (to tell), it becomes kertonut.
Why is 'the doctor' in the -lle form (lääkärille)?
The verb kertoa (to tell) requires the person receiving the information to be in the allative case, which uses the -lle ending. Literally, you are telling something 'onto' the doctor.
Why does the word for pain, kipu, change to kivu- in kivusta?
Adding the -sta ending (meaning 'about' or 'out of') closes the final syllable. This triggers consonant gradation, where the strong p in kipu softens to a v, making kivusta.
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