Questions & Answers about Kysyin pomolta, kuka maksaa laskun.
Why do we use the -lta ending on pomolta?
In Finnish, when you ask somebody a question, you ask it from them. The verb kysyä (to ask) requires the ablative case ending -lta/-ltä for the person you are asking.
Why is there a comma before kuka?
In Finnish, a comma is required to separate the main clause (Kysyin pomolta) from a subordinate clause, which in this case is an indirect question (kuka maksaa laskun). This is a strict punctuation rule in Finnish, even though we don't use a comma there in English!
Why is maksaa in the present tense even though kysyin is in the past tense?
In English, we usually shift the tense to match the main verb (e.g., "I asked who would pay"). In Finnish, an indirect question keeps the exact same tense as the original direct question. Since the original thought was "Who pays?" (Kuka maksaa?), the verb stays in the present tense.
Why does lasku (bill) get an -n ending to become laskun?
This is the accusative case (which looks just like the genitive with an -n ending). It marks laskun as the total object of the action. It shows that someone will pay the entire bill, not just part of it.