Word
Näetkö noita härkiä?
Meaning
Do you see those oxen?
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
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Questions & Answers about Näetkö noita härkiä?
The dictionary form is härkä (ox). Since the lesson is about consonant gradation, why does the 'k' remain in härkiä?
The partitive plural ending here is -iä. Because this ending is an open syllable (it ends in a vowel, not a consonant), the word stays in the strong grade. This means the rk in härkä stays rk in härkiä, instead of changing to the weak grade rj like in the genitive form härjän.
Why are noita and härkiä in the partitive plural instead of the nominative plural (nuo härät)?
With verbs of perception like nähdä (to see), using the partitive plural emphasizes that the action is ongoing right now ('are you seeing those oxen?'). Using the nominative plural (nuo härät) would imply a completed action or seeing the group as one definitive, finished whole.
What is the base form of noita (those)?
It comes from the singular word tuo (that). In the plural, the stem changes to noi-. When we add the partitive plural ending -ta, we get noita.
How is näetkö built from the verb nähdä (to see)?