Learn Finnish: Minä otan avaimen tuolta. - I take the key from over there.

This is because of a rule called consonant gradation. When adding the -n ending for 'I', the double consonant tt in ottaa weakens to a single t. So, ottaa becomes otan.

Why is the word for key avaimen instead of its basic dictionary form avain?

In Finnish, when an object is fully affected by an action (like taking a whole, specific key), it often takes an -n ending. This shows that it is the direct object of the verb otan.

How does the spelling change from avain to avaimen?

Finnish words ending in -in, like avain (key) or puhelin (phone), have a special rule. Before adding an ending, the -in changes to -ime-. So the stem of avain is avaime-, and adding the -n makes it avaimen.

What does the -lta ending do in the word tuolta?