Breakdown of Turisti tiedustelee aikataulua kuljettajalta ja vahtimestarilta.
ja
and
turisti
the tourist
aikataulu
schedule
tiedustella
to inquire
kuljettaja
driver
vahtimestari
caretaker
Questions & Answers about Turisti tiedustelee aikataulua kuljettajalta ja vahtimestarilta.
Why do kuljettajalta and vahtimestarilta end in -lta?
This is the core rule of the current lesson! The verb tiedustella (to inquire) is a verb of asking. In Finnish, verbs of asking like tiedustella and kysyä require the person you are asking to be in the ablative case (the exterior local case meaning from, -lta/-ltä). You are literally inquiring from the driver and the janitor.
Why is aikataulua in the partitive case (-a) instead of the accusative?
When you ask for information, the thing you are asking about is usually put in the partitive case. The tourist isn't acquiring the entire physical schedule (which would take the accusative); they are just inquiring about it.
What is the difference between tiedustella and the more common verb kysyä?
Both words mean to ask and both share the exact same rule: the person you ask must be in the ablative case (-lta/-ltä). However, tiedustella is more formal and polite, best translated as to inquire, while kysyä is the everyday word for to ask.
What does the word vahtimestari literally mean?
It is a compound of vahti (guard or watch) and mestari (master). While watch-master sounds like a security guard, vahtimestari is the standard Finnish word for a janitor, caretaker, or porter in a building.
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