Question 1

Why does the phrase paljain kasvoin use the instructive case here?

Accepted Answer

The instructive case, ending in -in, is often used in fixed expressions to describe how, or by what physical means, an action is done. Here, paljain kasvoin describes the manner in which the crime was committed: with a bare face, meaning without a mask.

Question 2

The English translation says bare-faced (singular). Why are both paljain and kasvoin in the plural?

Accepted Answer

In Finnish, the word for face is kasvot, which is always a plural word (just like scissors or glasses in English). Because the noun is plural, the instructive ending -in is attached to its plural stem, and the adjective paljas (bare) must agree with it by also taking the plural instructive form.

Question 3

How do we build the form paljain from the dictionary word paljas?

Accepted Answer

To form the instructive, you use the plural stem of the word and add -n (the -i- before it is the plural marker). The adjective paljas has the plural stem paljai-. When you add the final -n, you get paljain.

Question 4

Why is the object kassin used instead of the partitive form kassia?

Accepted Answer

Because the action was fully completed and the criminal took the entire bag. When a complete object is acted upon in an affirmative sentence, Finnish uses the genitive-accusative ending -n (making kassi into kassin). If the action was ongoing or incomplete, you would use the partitive form kassia.

Rikollinen vei kassin paljain kasvoin.

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