Breakdown of Kyyti keskustaan kelpais mulle.
minä
I
keskusta
the city center
kyyti
ride
kelvata
to be acceptable
Questions & Answers about Kyyti keskustaan kelpais mulle.
Why does the verb kelpais end in -is?
This is the colloquial clipped conditional taught in this lesson. The standard written form is kelpaisi (it would be fine / it would do), from the verb kelvata. In spoken Finnish (puhekieli), the final -i of the third-person singular conditional is often dropped, turning -isi into just -is.
Why do we use the allative case mulle (to me) here?
The verb kelvata (to be good enough, to suit) requires the person it suits to be in the allative case (the -lle ending). So literally, the ride would be good enough to me. Mulle is the spoken form of standard minulle.
Why is keskusta (city center) in the illative case (keskustaan)?
Even though it is attached to the noun kyyti (a ride) rather than a movement verb like to go or to drive, the destination of the ride still takes a directional movement case. Keskusta uses internal location cases, so to the city center becomes keskustaan (into the center).
Is kelpais the best way to say I would like here?
It is a very common and natural way to express that you would gladly accept something. While you could say haluaisin kyydin (I would want a ride), saying kyyti kelpais mulle (a ride would do / would be gladly accepted) sounds much more casual and native-like in everyday situations.
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