Questions & Answers about Pojan laatikko on syvempi.
How do we get syvempi from the dictionary word syvä?
To form the comparative (meaning "more" or "-er"), we add the suffix -mpi. When a two-syllable adjective ends in -a or -ä, like syvä (deep), that final vowel changes to an -e-. So syvä changes to the stem syve-, and adding the suffix gives us syvempi (deeper).
Why does the suffix -mpi in syvempi not follow vowel harmony rules?
The comparative suffix is a special case and is always exactly -mpi. Even though the base word syvä has front vowels (y and ä), Finnish doesn't use a front-vowel version of this suffix (there is no such thing as -mpä). It remains -mpi for all adjectives.
Why is the word for boy spelled pojan with a "j" here?
The basic dictionary word for boy is poika. Because we are saying "the boy's box", we need the genitive (possessive) ending -n. Adding this ending closes the syllable, which triggers consonant gradation. The strong -k- weakens to a -j-, transforming poika into pojan.
Why does laatikko keep its strong double -kk-?
Laatikko (box) is the subject of the sentence, so it is in the nominative (basic) form. Since we aren't adding any grammatical endings to it here, consonant gradation isn't triggered and the double -kk- stays strong.
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