Word
Vakoojat ostivat valepuvut päästäkseen sisään.
Meaning
The spies bought disguises to get in.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Vakoojat ostivat valepuvut päästäkseen sisään.
ostaa
to buy
sisään
in
päästä
to get to, to reach
vakooja
spy
Questions & Answers about Vakoojat ostivat valepuvut päästäkseen sisään.
What are the different parts added to the verb in päästäkseen?
This structure means 'in order to do something.' It starts with the basic dictionary form of the verb, päästä (to get or reach). Then we add the translative marker -kse-, and finally the third-person possessive suffix -en, referring back to the spies (vakoojat). Together, it means 'in order for them to get.'
Why use päästäkseen instead of a verb like mennäkseen (in order to go)?
While mennä just means 'to go,' the verb päästä carries the meaning of 'managing to go,' 'getting access,' or 'arriving.' For spies infiltrating a building, päästä perfectly captures that getting inside requires effort or bypassing security.
How is the word valepuku (disguise) formed?
It is a compound word made of vale (a lie or fake) and puku (a suit, dress, or outfit). A disguise is quite literally a 'fake suit'!
Why does the object valepuvut end in -t instead of being in the partitive case?
The spies bought whole, complete disguises, so this requires a total object rather than a partitive one. For plural words, the total object form is identical to the basic nominative plural, which ends in -t.