Breakdown of En viivy kauan, koska minulla ei ole matkatavaraakaan.
olla
to be
minä
I
koska
because
ei
no / not (en, et, ei, emme, ette, eivät)
kauan
for a long time
viipyä
to stay (spend time, linger)
matkatavara
the luggage
Questions & Answers about En viivy kauan, koska minulla ei ole matkatavaraakaan.
Why is the verb spelled viivy instead of viipy?
The basic verb is viipyä (to stay, to linger). When forming the present negative, consonant gradation changes the strong p to a weak v, giving us the stem viivy-.
Why is matkatavaraakaan in the partitive case?
In negative ownership sentences like minulla ei ole (I do not have), the thing you lack must be in the partitive case. Therefore, matkatavara becomes matkatavaraa before the final suffix is added.
What does the -kaan suffix mean at the end of matkatavaraakaan?
It translates to 'either' or 'even' in a negative sentence. Because the sentence uses the negative ei ole, we attach -kaan to mean 'luggage, either'. If it were a positive sentence, you would use -kin ('also') instead.
Why is matkatavara singular here instead of plural?
Just like the word 'luggage' in English, matkatavara is often used as a singular mass noun in Finnish to refer to baggage collectively. You generally only use the plural form (matkatavaroita) when specifically emphasizing individual pieces of luggage.
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