Questions & Answers about Luen usein arvosteluja.
Why does arvosteluja end in -ja instead of just -a or -ta?
arvosteluja is the partitive plural form of arvostelu (review). For most words ending in the vowels -o, -ö, -u, or -y, you form the partitive plural by simply adding -ja or -jä directly to the basic word.
Why do we use the partitive plural here instead of the regular plural?
When a sentence has an object, Finnish uses the partitive case for unspecified amounts or incomplete actions. Since you are reading an undefined number of reviews (not specific ones, and not all of them), arvosteluja must be in the partitive plural.
If the dictionary form of the verb is lukea (to read), why is there no 'k' in luen?
The verb lukea undergoes consonant gradation. When you add a personal ending that closes the syllable, like the -n for the 'I' form, the strong k drops out completely. This leaves you with the weak grade luen.
Could I place usein at the beginning of the sentence?
Yes, you could say Usein luen arvosteluja. Finnish word order is quite flexible. However, placing usein (often) at the front puts a slightly stronger emphasis on the frequency of the action, whereas the original sentence is just a neutral statement.
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