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Questions & Answers about Paljonko toimitus maksaa?
Why is there a -ko ending on paljon?
You probably remember the -ko or -kö suffix as the ending used to create yes/no questions (like Onko? - Is it?). However, attaching it to paljon (a lot / much) is a special case that creates the single question word paljonko, meaning "how much?". You could also say Kuinka paljon toimitus maksaa?, which means exactly the same thing.
This lesson is about the -minen suffix. Could I use the verbal noun toimittaminen instead of toimitus here?
Both words come from the verb toimittaa (to deliver). While toimittaminen is the verbal noun meaning the literal act of "delivering", toimitus is an established noun meaning "a delivery" (the shipping service itself, or the package). Using toimitus is the standard way to ask about shipping costs, but asking how much toimittaminen (delivering) costs would also make grammatical sense!
Doesn't the verb maksaa usually mean "to pay"?
Yes, but it is also the verb for "to cost"! You can usually tell which meaning is intended by looking at the subject of the sentence. If a person is the subject (for example, Minä maksan - I pay), it means "to pay". Because the subject here is a thing (toimitus), it naturally translates to "to cost".