Breakdown of Sinun kannattaa maksaa velka takaisin nopeasti.
sinä
you
nopeasti
fast
maksaa
to pay
kannattaa
to be profitable / to be worth it
Questions & Answers about Sinun kannattaa maksaa velka takaisin nopeasti.
Why is sinun in the genitive case instead of just sinä?
The verb kannattaa (to be worthwhile / should) is an obligation verb. In Finnish, sentences with obligation verbs require the subject to be in the genitive case. Because of this rule, sinä becomes sinun.
Why isn't the verb kannattaa conjugated to match sinun?
In obligation structures, the main verb is always locked in the third-person singular form, regardless of who the subject is. Even though the subject is you, you will never see kannatat here, only kannattaa.
Why is the object velka in its basic form instead of velan?
This is a very important special rule for obligation sentences! Normally, a total object gets an -n at the end (like maksan velan). However, when the sentence has a necessity verb like kannattaa or pitää, the object drops the -n and stays in its basic nominative form (velka).
Does maksaa takaisin work just like the English phrase pay back?
Yes! Just like in English, the verb maksaa (to pay) and the adverb takaisin (back) are used together to mean pay back or repay.