Questions & Answers about Tämä joki on liian syvä.
Since the current lesson is about the comparative ending -mpi, why isn't it used here for 'too deep'?
In Finnish, the word liian (too) is used with the basic form of the adjective, just like in English. You say liian syvä (too deep), never liian syvempi (too deeper). You only use the -mpi ending when you are actually comparing things.
If I wanted to say 'This river is deeper', how would I add the -mpi ending to syvä?
For most two-syllable adjectives ending in -a or -ä, that final vowel changes to -e- before you add the comparative ending. So syvä becomes syvempi (deeper).
The word for river is joki. How does it change when we need to add other grammar endings to it?
joki is an old Finnish word, which means its stem changes before most endings are added. The final -i becomes -e-, and it undergoes consonant gradation where the strong -k- disappears. For example, 'of the river' is joen and 'in the river' is joessa.
Can I use the word liian on its own to mean 'too much'?
No, liian only means 'too' when it comes right before an adjective or an adverb (like liian syvä). If you want to say 'too much' as an amount, you must say liian paljon.
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