Breakdown of Kumpikin rotu on suloinen.
olla
to be
kumpikin
both / each (of two)
suloinen
sweet / cute (adorable, endearing, not taste)
rotu
the breed
Questions & Answers about Kumpikin rotu on suloinen.
Why are the verb and adjective in the singular (on suloinen) if we are talking about "both" breeds?
In Finnish, kumpikin acts grammatically like "each of the two." Because of this, it requires singular forms for the noun it modifies (rotu), the verb (on), and the adjective (suloinen). English groups them into a plural ("Both breeds are..."), but Finnish grammar treats them as individuals here.
Could I use molemmat instead of kumpikin to say "both"?
Yes, you can, but it completely changes the grammar of the sentence! Molemmat treats the subjects as a combined group and requires plural words. If you used it, the sentence would become Molemmat rodut ovat suloisia. Choosing kumpikin gives a slight nuance of focusing on "each of the two breeds" individually.
How does the word kumpikin change if I need to use it in a different grammatical case?
The word is built from kumpi (which of two) plus the suffix -kin (also/even). When declining, you only change the kumpi part and stick the -kin onto the very end of the new word. For example, in the partitive case it becomes kumpaakin, and in the inessive case (meaning "in") it becomes kummassakin.
What kind of "sweet" does suloinen mean here?