Breakdown of Hän on jo kymmenes asiakas tänään.
olla
to be
hän
he / she
tänään
today
asiakas
the customer
jo
already
kymmenes
tenth
Questions & Answers about Hän on jo kymmenes asiakas tänään.
How is kymmenes (tenth) formed from the basic number kymmenen (ten)?
To make the ordinal 'tenth', the final -en of the number kymmenen changes to -es. This makes kymmenes. Many ordinals are formed by adding or changing the ending to -s (like viides for 'fifth'), but remember that 'first' (ensimmäinen) and 'second' (toinen) are irregular.
Why are kymmenes and asiakas in the basic nominative form here?
They are in the nominative (dictionary) form because this is a basic 'A is B' sentence. When saying what a singular subject is using the verb olla (to be), the noun phrase describing it (kymmenes asiakas) stays in the nominative case.
Why is jo (already) placed where it is in the sentence?
In Finnish, jo is usually placed right before the word it emphasizes. By putting it right before kymmenes asiakas, the speaker highlights their surprise or focus on the fact that the count has already reached ten.
Is the word tänään related to the word tämä (this)?
Yes! Tänään comes from an old form of tämä (this). It essentially means 'on this (day)'. Time words in Finnish often have these built-in endings, which is why you do not need a separate preposition when saying 'today'.
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