Breakdown of Opettaja jakoi paperit uusiin kansioihin.
uusi
new
opettaja
teacher
jakaa
to share / to divide/distribute (into parts)
paperi
paper
kansio
folder
Questions & Answers about Opettaja jakoi paperit uusiin kansioihin.
Why is the ending -ihin in kansioihin instead of just doubling the vowel?
The basic word is kansio (folder). To find the plural stem, we add an i, making it kansioi-. Because this stem ends in a diphthong (two different vowels together), we can't just stretch the last vowel to make the illative case. Instead, Finnish adds the ending -hin to make it flow better: kansioihin (into the folders).
How do we get uusiin from the adjective uusi (new)?
For the word uusi, the plural stem happens to be uusi-. When a plural stem ends in a single short vowel, you form the illative plural by simply lengthening that last vowel and adding -n. So, we take uusi-, double the last i, and add -n, giving us uusiin.
Why are the new folders in the illative ("into") case here?
The verb jakaa (to distribute, to divide) requires the illative case when you are talking about where the items end up. Just like in English where you distribute things into folders, Finnish uses the illative case to show movement into that final destination.
Why is paperit in the standard -t plural form and not the partitive plural?
paperit is the object of the sentence. Because the teacher distributed a specific, complete set of papers (and the action was completed), it takes the "total object" form. For plural words, this looks exactly like the basic nominative plural ending in -t. If she had distributed an undefined amount of papers ("some papers"), it would be in the partitive plural: papereita.
Why does jakoi (distributed) keep its "k"? Doesn't the verb jakaa usually lose it?
The verb jakaa does lose its k in "weak" forms, like minä jaan (I distribute), because the personal ending (-n) closes the syllable. However, the third-person past tense form (hän jakoi) just adds an -i. Because this doesn't close the final syllable with a consonant, the word stays in its "strong" grade and keeps the k.
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