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Questions & Answers about Minulla on kuume.
Wait, this lesson is about possessive suffixes. Why don't we use one here?
Possessive suffixes are used to say 'my' something, like kuumeeni (my fever). But to say 'I have a fever', Finnish uses the Minulla on structure, which literally means 'On me is'. You don't use possessive suffixes just to state that you possess or have something.
Why is kuume in its basic form instead of the partitive case?
In the Minulla on structure, the thing you have is technically the subject of the sentence. Illnesses and feelings like kuume (fever), nälkä (hunger), and nuha (a cold) are treated as single, whole things in this structure, so they stay in the basic nominative form rather than taking the partitive case.
Where is the word for 'a' in 'a fever'?
Finnish does not have articles like 'a', 'an', or 'the'. The single word kuume translates to 'a fever' perfectly all on its own.
Can I change the word order to Kuume on minulla?
You can, but it changes the meaning slightly. Minulla on kuume is the standard, neutral way to say 'I have a fever'. Saying Kuume on minulla puts heavy emphasis on the person, meaning 'I am the one who has the fever'.