Breakdown of Luulen kiitoradan olevan liian lyhyt.
olla
to be
luulla
to think, to suppose
lyhyt
short
liian
too (excessively)
Questions & Answers about Luulen kiitoradan olevan liian lyhyt.
How does the partisiippirakenne (referative construction) replace an 'että' clause here?
Instead of saying Luulen, että kiitorata on liian lyhyt, this sentence uses the referative construction. The verb on turns into the present participle olevan, and its subject (kiitorata) takes the genitive ending to become kiitoradan.
Why is it kiitoradan instead of kiitoratan?
The base word is kiitorata (runway). Adding the genitive -n closes the final syllable, which triggers consonant gradation. The strong t softens to a weak d.
Why doesn't the adjective lyhyt change to the genitive case to match kiitoradan?
In this construction, the predicative adjective (the adjective describing the subject) does not take the genitive case. Since kiitorata is a singular, countable noun, its describing adjective lyhyt stays in the basic nominative case.
Why use luulen instead of ajattelen for 'I think'?
The verb luulla means 'to think' in the sense of making an assumption, guessing, or believing something to be true. Ajatella refers to the active, mental process of pondering or having thoughts.