Questions & Answers about Minä laitoin sokerin ja suolan pieniin purkkeihin.
Why do pieniin and purkkeihin have different endings if they are both in the illative plural?
The ending depends on the word's plural stem. For pieni, the plural stem is pieni-. Since it ends in a single short vowel (i), we double that vowel and add -n, making pieniin. For purkki, the plural stem is purkkei-. Since it ends in a diphthong (two different vowels, ei), the rule is to add -hin, making purkkeihin.
Why does the word purkki change to have an -e- in purkkeihin?
When a basic word ends in -i (like purkki), that final -i usually changes to -e- when the plural marker -i- is added. This happens because Finnish avoids having two i's directly next to each other in this type of word stem. So, the base becomes purkkei- before we add the -hin ending.
Why do sokeri and suola end in -n (sokerin, suolan)?
They are the objects of the action. Because you are putting all of the intended sugar and salt into the jars, and the sentence is a positive statement, the objects take the genitive -n ending (often called the total object). This shows that the action is completed.