Breakdown of Kysyin, miksi hän lähti sanomatta sanaakaan.
hän
he / she
kysyä
to ask
sana
word
sanoa
to say
miksi
why
lähteä
to leave
-kaan
neither / not either (also -kään)
Questions & Answers about Kysyin, miksi hän lähti sanomatta sanaakaan.
How does sanomatta mean "without saying"?
It is formed from the verb sanoa (to say). The ending -matta or -mättä is added to the strong stem of the verb. It indicates doing something without the action happening, translating perfectly to "without saying" in this sentence.
Why is there a -kaan ending on sanaakaan?
The suffix -kaan or -kään is used for emphasis in negative contexts, often meaning "even" or "at all". Because the -matta ending in sanomatta carries a negative meaning ("without"), it triggers the use of -kaan to mean "without saying even a word".
Why is the word for "word" in the partitive case (sanaa) here?
Negative actions require their objects to be in the partitive case. Since sanomatta means the action of saying did not happen, its object "a word" takes the partitive form sanaa before the -kaan ending is attached.
Why is there a comma before miksi?
In Finnish grammar, you must always place a comma between a main clause and a subordinate clause (a clause starting with a question word like miksi or a conjunction like että). This is a strict rule in Finnish, even though English often leaves this comma out.
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