Breakdown of Voit tiedustella asiaa viranomaiselta.
voida
can, to be able to
asia
thing, matter
tiedustella
to inquire
viranomainen
authority
Questions & Answers about Voit tiedustella asiaa viranomaiselta.
Why does the sentence use the ablative case ending -lta in viranomaiselta?
The verb tiedustella (to inquire) governs the ablative case. Just like with the everyday verb kysyä (to ask), Finnish logic dictates that you ask or inquire from someone. Therefore, the person or entity being asked must take the -lta or -ltä ending.
What is the dictionary form of viranomaiselta, and why does it look so different here?
The dictionary form is viranomainen (authority or official). For Finnish words ending in -nen, the end changes to -se- when forming the base stem for most case endings. Thus, viranomainen becomes the stem viranomaise-, to which we attach the ablative ending -lta.
Why is the word for matter in the partitive case (asiaa)?
When you inquire about something, the thing you are asking about is the object of the sentence. With tiedustella, this object is put into the partitive case because the action does not physically complete or consume the object; you are simply seeking information regarding it.
Could I just use kysyä instead of tiedustella here?
Yes, you could say Voit kysyä asiaa viranomaiselta, and the grammar remains exactly the same. Both verbs require the partitive case for the thing being asked and the ablative case for the person being asked. However, tiedustella is more formal and translates best as to inquire, which is very natural when contacting an official authority.
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