Questions & Answers about Navetat ovat usein punaisia.
Why is navetat spelled with one "t" when the basic word navetta has two?
This is because of consonant gradation. Adding the regular plural ending -t closes the final syllable (-tat). A closed syllable forces the strong double tt in navetta to weaken to a single t.
If we needed the partitive plural of navetta, would it also weaken to a single "t"?
No, it would keep the strong double tt and become navettoja. In the partitive plural, the syllables are divided as na-vet-to-ja. Since the syllable -to- is open (it ends in a vowel), the consonant stays strong. This is a key difference to remember for this lesson!
Why is the adjective punaisia (red) in the partitive plural here?
In Finnish, when you use the verb olla (to be) to describe a plural subject in a general sense (like cowsheds in general, rather than a specific, restricted group of them), the describing adjective must be in the partitive plural.
How do we build the form punaisia from the basic dictionary word punainen?
Words ending in -nen change their ending to -isi- to form the plural stem. So, punainen becomes the plural stem punaisi-. Then, we simply add the partitive ending -a to get punaisia.
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