Breakdown of Kenen testamenttia luemme tänään?
tänään
today
lukea
to read
kenen
whose
testamentti
will (legal document)
Questions & Answers about Kenen testamenttia luemme tänään?
What word does kenen come from, and how is it used in a sentence?
Kenen (whose) is the genitive form of the question word kuka (who). Just like in English, it comes directly before the noun it describes, which in this case is testamenttia.
Why is the object testamenttia in the partitive case rather than the total object form (testamentin)?
The verb lukea (to read) often takes a partitive object when the action is ongoing or incomplete. Using testamenttia implies we are spending time reading it today, but we might not finish it. If it were testamentin, it would mean our goal is to read the entire will from start to finish today.
Where did the 'k' from the basic verb lukea go in the word luemme?
The verb lukea undergoes consonant gradation. Adding the -mme ending closes the syllable, which forces the stem into its weak grade. For this verb, the k disappears completely, turning luke- into lue-.
Is it mandatory to include the word me (we) before luemme?
No, it is very common to leave it out in standard Finnish. Because the verb luemme has the -mme ending, it is already completely clear that 'we' are doing the action.