Question 1

Why do lyheni and tyhjeni end in -i rather than the -nee stem seen in the present tense?

Accepted Answer

These are Verb Type 6 verbs (lyhetä and tyhjetä). In the present tense, their stem has a double vowel (like lyhenee for "it gets shorter"). But to form the past tense, the past marker -i bumps off the final vowel of the -ne- stem. So, lyhene- + -i becomes lyheni ("it got shorter").

Question 2

How do I find the dictionary forms (infinitives) for verbs like lyheni and tyhjeni?

Accepted Answer

For Verb Type 6, you take the stem (like lyhene- or tyhjene-), remove the -ne-, and add -eta or -etä. This gives us the infinitives lyhetä (to become shorter) and tyhjetä (to become empty).

Question 3

Is it a coincidence that these verbs look like the adjectives lyhyt (short) and tyhjä (empty)?

Accepted Answer

Not at all! A very common pattern for Verb Type 6 is to describe a change of state, meaning "to become [adjective]". So lyhetä literally means "to become short(er)" and tyhjetä means "to become empty".

Question 4

Why is the "also" suffix (-kin) attached to kauppa rather than at the end of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

The clitic -kin attaches directly to the specific word it emphasizes. By putting it on kauppa (kauppakin), the sentence emphasizes that the store also emptied (just like the queue did). If it were on the verb (tyhjenikin), it would mean the store also emptied (in addition to some other action).

Question 5

How would I say "The queue didn't get shorter" in the past tense?

Accepted Answer

You would use the negative verb ei alongside the past participle. For Verb Type 6, that participle ends in -nnyt or -nneet. The correct form here is jono ei lyhennyt.

Jono lyheni, ja kauppakin tyhjeni.

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