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Questions & Answers about Lapset tulevat perässä.
What is the difference between perässä and takana?
Both words can translate to "behind", but they are used differently. Perässä is used when following a moving person or object, like children walking behind their parents. Takana is used for a stationary location, like a car parked behind a house.
Where does the word perässä come from?
It is formed from the noun perä, which means "rear" or "back". By adding the inessive ending -ssä (meaning "in"), it literally means "in the rear". In this sentence, it acts as an adverb meaning "following behind".
Does perässä need another word to connect to?
Not always. It is often used as a postposition attached to a word in the genitive case, such as äidin perässä ("behind mom"). However, in this sentence it stands completely alone as an adverb, just like "behind" can in English.
Does this sentence use the imperative (command) mood taught in this lesson?
No, this sentence uses the regular present tense: tulevat ("are coming"). However, if you wanted to command a group of children to follow you using the plural imperative from this lesson, you would replace it with Tulkaa perässä! ("Come behind!").