Breakdown of Kun nukuin teltassa, yö oli kylmempi.
olla
to be
teltta
tent
nukkua
to sleep
kylmä
cold
yö
night
kun
when (conjunction)
Questions & Answers about Kun nukuin teltassa, yö oli kylmempi.
How do we form the comparative kylmempi from the basic adjective kylmä?
To form the comparative, we add the suffix -mpi. However, before adding it, the final vowel -a or -ä of the adjective stem changes to an -e. So, the stem kylmä- becomes kylme-, and adding the suffix gives us kylmempi.
Why does teltassa only have one t before the a, if the dictionary word for tent is teltta?
This is because of consonant gradation. The base word is teltta, which has the strong consonant combination -ltt-. When we add a closed ending like the 'in' suffix -ssa, the -ltt- weakens to -lt-, giving us the stem telta- and the final word teltassa.
Why doesn't the sentence say Kun minä nukuin?
In Finnish, the first-person pronouns (minä for 'I' and me for 'we') and second-person pronouns (sinä, te) are often left out. The -n ending on the verb nukuin (I slept) already makes it perfectly clear who is doing the action.
How do we get the past tense form nukuin from the basic verb nukkua (to sleep)?
First, the verb undergoes consonant gradation: the strong -kk- becomes a weak -k-. Then, the past tense marker -i- is added, dropping the final vowels of the stem. Finally, we add the personal ending -n for 'I', resulting in nukuin.
Could I use the word milloin instead of kun to mean 'when' here?
No, you can only use kun here. Milloin is a question word used to ask when something happens (for example, Milloin nukuit? - When did you sleep?). Because you are connecting two statements rather than asking a direct question, you must use the conjunction kun.
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