Questions & Answers about Hyllyllä on makeita keksejä.
Why is the verb on in the singular when the English translation says 'There are'?
In Finnish existential clauses, which state that something exists somewhere, the verb is always in the third-person singular (on). This applies even when the subject, like makeita keksejä, is plural.
Why are makeita keksejä in the partitive plural instead of the basic plural makeat keksit?
In existential sentences, the subject must be in the partitive case if it represents an undefined amount of a countable noun. Because we are talking about an unspecified number of sweet cookies rather than specific, known ones, the partitive plural is required.
How is the partitive plural makeita formed from the dictionary form makea?
For words ending in a vowel combination like -ea, you drop the final -a and add the plural marker -i- followed by the partitive ending -ta. Therefore, makea turns into makeita.
Could I change the word order to Makeita keksejä on hyllyllä?
You can, but it changes the sentence type. Starting with the location (Hyllyllä) makes it an existential sentence, answering 'What is on the shelf?'. Starting with the subject (Makeita keksejä) makes it a location sentence, answering 'Where are the sweet cookies?'.
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