Breakdown of Sähköauto on hiljainen, kuten polkupyörä.
olla
to be
hiljainen
quiet
sähköauto
electric car
polkupyörä
bicycle
Questions & Answers about Sähköauto on hiljainen, kuten polkupyörä.
The lesson is about 'kuin', but this sentence uses 'kuten'. What is the difference?
While kuin is used for 'than' in direct comparisons (like 'bigger than') or 'as... as' structures, kuten translates closer to 'like' or 'such as'. It points out a general similarity. You could use kuin here too, but kuten feels more like saying 'quiet, just like a bicycle is'.
What two words make up 'sähköauto'?
It is a compound word made of sähkö (electricity) and auto (car). Finnish frequently creates words for modern concepts by gluing two basic words together.
How does the word 'polkupyörä' translate literally?
It combines polku (path, which is related to the verb polkea meaning to pedal) and pyörä (wheel). So it literally means something like 'pedal-wheel'.
Why is 'polkupyörä' in the basic nominative form here?
Because kuten does not force the word that follows it into a special grammatical case. Since the main subject sähköauto is in the basic nominative form, the noun it is being compared to (polkupyörä) stays in that basic form as well.