Breakdown of Lapsi säikähti niin paljon, että hän tärisi.
hän
he / she
paljon
a lot
lapsi
child
niin
so
että
that (conjunction)
säikähtää
to get startled
täristä
to shake
Questions & Answers about Lapsi säikähti niin paljon, että hän tärisi.
How does the niin ... että structure work in this sentence?
This structure is the Finnish way to say "so ... that". The word niin (so) pairs with että (that) to show the consequence of an action. Here, niin modifies the amount (paljon), giving us niin paljon, että (so much that) to explain exactly how strongly the child was startled.
Why is there a comma before että?
In Finnish, you must always use a comma to separate a main clause from a subordinate clause. Since että (that) starts a new subordinate clause with its own subject and verb (hän tärisi), the comma is strictly required, unlike in English where it is often dropped.
What is the difference between säikähti and a word like pelkäsi?
Säikähtää means "to get startled" or "to get a fright" – it describes a sudden, momentary reaction. Pelätä means "to be afraid" or "to fear", which is an ongoing state or feeling. Since the child was suddenly startled at a specific moment, säikähti is the correct choice here.
What verb type is tärisi, and how is this past tense formed?
The infinitive is täristä (to shake or tremble), which is a Type 3 verb. Its present tense stem is tärise-. To make it past tense (imperfect), the final e of the stem is dropped and replaced by the past tense marker i, giving us tärisi for the 3rd person singular form.
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