Breakdown of Matkustajien täytyi pukea pelastusliivit, ennen kuin he auttoivat toisiaan.
he
they
auttaa
to help
täytyä
to have to
toinen
other, another; second
pukea
to put on
matkustaja
passenger
ennen kuin
before (conjunction)
pelastusliivi
life vest
Questions & Answers about Matkustajien täytyi pukea pelastusliivit, ennen kuin he auttoivat toisiaan.
Why is there a comma right before ennen kuin?
In Finnish, you must use a comma to separate a main clause from a subordinate clause. Since ennen kuin (before) starts a subordinate clause, a comma is strictly required here, even though you wouldn't use one in English.
Does ennen kuin change the word order of the clause that follows it?
No. Subordinate clauses starting with ennen kuin follow standard Finnish word order: Subject (he) + Verb (auttoivat) + Object (toisiaan).
Why is the subject matkustajien (the passengers) in the genitive case?
This is a grammar refresher! The verb in the main clause is täytyi (had to). Verbs that express necessity or obligation, like täytyä and pitää, always require their subject to be in the genitive case.
Why is the object pelastusliivit in its basic plural form instead of the partitive?
The passengers had to put on a specific, complete set of life vests, so this takes a total object rather than a partitive one. In Finnish, a total object in the plural always looks exactly like the standard nominative plural (ending in -t).
How is the word toisiaan (each other) formed here?
It is built from the word toinen (other). To say 'each other', you take the plural partitive form (toisia) and add a possessive suffix, which here is -an (their). It is in the partitive case because the verb auttaa (to help) always requires its object to be partitive.
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