Breakdown of Minun on kerrottava teille, että uusi määräys kuulostaa vaikealta.
olla
to be
minä
I
te
you (plural/formal)
uusi
new
vaikea
difficult / hard
kertoa
to tell
että
that (conjunction)
kuulostaa
to sound
määräys
the regulation
Questions & Answers about Minun on kerrottava teille, että uusi määräys kuulostaa vaikealta.
How does the obligation structure work in Minun on kerrottava?
This is the structure you are learning now: a genitive subject (Minun) + the verb on + the passive present participle (kerrottava). It means exactly the same as Minun täytyy kertoa (I must tell), but it is a slightly more formal or written way to express necessity.
How do we get kerrottava from the basic verb kertoa?
To make the passive present participle for a type 1 verb like kertoa, you use the weak consonant grade and add the passive ending. The consonant cluster rt weakens to rr in the stem (kerro-), and then you add the passive ending -ttava to get kerrottava.
Why is the word for difficult (vaikea) in the ablative case (vaikealta)?
Verbs of perception like kuulostaa (to sound), näyttää (to look), and tuntua (to feel) require the adjective describing the impression to be in the ablative case (-lta/-ltä) or allative case (-lle). Therefore, sounding difficult requires the form vaikealta.
Could I use sinulle instead of teille here?
Yes, if you are talking to just one person informally, you would use sinulle. Teille is the allative case of te, meaning you are addressing multiple people or speaking formally to one person. The verb kertoa always requires this allative case (-lle) for the person receiving the information.
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