Questions & Answers about Ostan sokeritonta karkkia kaupasta.
How is the word sokeriton formed to mean "sugar-free"?
It starts with the noun sokeri (sugar). By adding the caritive suffix -ton (meaning "without" or "-less"), it turns into the adjective sokeriton (sugar-free). If the root word had front vowels like y, ä, or ö, the suffix would be -tön.
Why does the ending change from -ton to -tonta in the word sokeritonta?
Adjectives must match the grammatical case of the noun they describe. Because karkkia (candy) is in the partitive case, the adjective must be too. For adjectives ending in -ton, the partitive form is always created by changing the ending to -tonta.
Why is the word for candy, karkkia, in the partitive case?
The partitive case is used here because you are buying an indefinite amount of a mass noun. You aren't buying one specific, countable piece of candy or all the candy in the store; you are just buying "some" candy.
Why do we use the -sta ending in kaupasta for "from the store"?
The -sta ending is the elative case, which means "out of". In Finnish, when you buy something from a store, you are thought of as taking it out from inside the building. If you used the -lta ending (kaupalta), it would mean you bought it from the yard or general area outside the store.