Breakdown of Kannustamme ja kehumme toisiamme paljon.
ja
and
paljon
a lot
toisiaan
each other (also toisiamme, toisianne)
kehua
to praise
kannustaa
to encourage
Questions & Answers about Kannustamme ja kehumme toisiamme paljon.
How do we get the form toisiamme for "each other"?
It comes from the word toinen (other). Since the subject is "we", we use the plural stem toisi-. Then we add the partitive ending -a (because the verbs require it) and finally the "our" possessive suffix -mme, making toisiamme.
Why use a single word (toisiamme) instead of the double phrase toinen toistamme?
You can use either! The traditional way to say "each other" in Finnish is to repeat the word, like toinen toistamme (literally "the one, the other of us"). However, simply putting toinen in the plural with a possessive suffix (toisiamme) is a much shorter and very common alternative.
Why do we need the partitive case for "each other" here?
The verbs kannustaa (to encourage) and kehua (to praise) are both partitive verbs. Actions involving emotions, expressions, or continuous support usually take a partitive object, so the stem toisi- gets the partitive ending -a to become toisia-.
Does the word paljon (a lot) change its form depending on who is speaking?
No, paljon is an adverb here describing how much we encourage and praise. Adverbs do not take plural endings or possessive suffixes, so it stays exactly as paljon no matter who the subject is.
Learn Kannustamme ja kehumme toisiamme paljon and more in Finnish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free