Breakdown of Leipomossa on herkullisia korvapuusteja.
olla
to be
herkullinen
delicious
leipomo
bakery
korvapuusti
cinnamon roll
Questions & Answers about Leipomossa on herkullisia korvapuusteja.
Why is the verb on singular when we are talking about plural cinnamon rolls?
This is an existential sentence, which states that something exists somewhere. In Finnish, existential sentences always use the 3rd person singular verb, like on, regardless of how many things there are. You literally say 'In the bakery is some cinnamon rolls.'
Why are herkullisia korvapuusteja in the partitive plural?
In existential sentences, if the subject is an indefinite plural group (meaning 'some' cinnamon rolls rather than 'the' cinnamon rolls), it must be in the partitive case. Since there are multiple rolls here, we use the partitive plural.
How does the word herkullinen (delicious) become herkullisia in the partitive plural?
For words ending in -nen, the stem changes to -si- in the plural before adding case endings. Then we add the partitive ending -a. So: herkullinen drops -nen, adds -si- (plural stem) and -a (partitive ending) to become herkullisia.
Does the word korvapuusti really have a hidden literal meaning?
Yes! A korvapuusti literally translates to a 'slap on the ear' or a 'boxed ear.' It got this name because the traditional folded shape of a Finnish cinnamon roll resembles an ear pressed flat.