Questions & Answers about Menot saattavat olla suuret.
The current lesson is about verbs like pitää that need a genitive subject. Why is the subject menot in the nominative case here?
The verb saattaa (might/may) is an auxiliary verb that pairs with an infinitive (olla), but it does not follow the special obligation verb rules. It takes a regular nominative subject, just like most normal verbs.
Why does the main verb have the plural ending -vat in saattavat instead of being in the 3rd-person singular like pitää?
Unlike obligation verbs (like pitää or kannattaa), which are frozen in the 3rd person singular, the verb saattaa fully agrees with its subject. Because the subject menot (the expenses) is plural, the verb becomes saattavat.
Why is the adjective suuret in the plural nominative (with a -t) instead of the partitive suuria?
When describing a regular plural subject (menot) with the verb olla (to be), the adjective matches the subject's case. Since menot is in the nominative plural, suuret also takes the nominative plural -t. We would only use the partitive if the subject were an abstract or uncountable mass.
Does the word menot come from the verb mennä (to go)?
Yes! Meno is a noun built from the verb mennä. It literally means 'a going', but when used in the plural (menot), it is the standard word for 'expenses' or 'expenditure' (money that goes out).