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Questions & Answers about Minä puen housut.
Why is the object housut ending in -t instead of the -n accusative?
Housut is a plural word, just like 'trousers' in English. For plural words, the total object form always looks exactly like the nominative plural (ending in -t). The genitive-accusative ending -n is only ever used for singular objects.
Does this relate to the lesson's rule about dropping the object case for imperative and necessity verbs?
No, because puen (I put on) is just a regular indicative verb. The object housut looks like a nominative purely because plural total objects always take this -t form, regardless of the verb type. The special 'case drop' rule you are currently learning only applies to singular objects.
What is the dictionary form of puen, and where did the 'k' go?
The dictionary form is pukea (to dress / to put on clothes). When you add the minä ending -n, the verb undergoes consonant gradation. The letter k disappears in the weak grade, changing the stem from puke- to pue-.
Could I use the partitive case here and say 'Minä puen housuja'?
Usually not. Putting on a specific item of clothing is viewed as a total, completed action, which requires a total object (housut). You would only use the partitive housuja if you were talking about an indefinite amount, like 'I am putting on some trousers', which sounds unusual in this context.