Breakdown of Kenen kassakaappi on kellarissa?
olla
to be
kellari
basement
kenen
whose
kassakaappi
safe (strongbox)
Questions & Answers about Kenen kassakaappi on kellarissa?
Since kenen is in the genitive case, shouldn't kassakaappi also take a special case?
No, kenen ("whose") is the genitive form of kuka ("who"), but it doesn't force the noun it owns to match its case. It simply tells you who the owner is. The thing being owned, kassakaappi, stays in the basic nominative case here because it is the subject of the sentence.
Why does the whole phrase Kenen kassakaappi come at the beginning of the sentence?
In standard Finnish, the question word always wants to be at the very front of the sentence. Because kenen modifies kassakaappi (it is "whose safe", not just "whose"), they act as a single phrase and must move to the front of the question together.
How do you break down the word kassakaappi?
It is a compound word made of kassa (cash desk, checkout, or cash box) and kaappi (cupboard or cabinet). Literally, it is a "cash cabinet"!
Why is it kellarissa (inside the cellar) instead of using the -lla ending?
A cellar (kellari) is an enclosed, three-dimensional space, so Finnish uses the inessive case (-ssa, "in/inside"). The adessive case (-lla, "on/at") is generally reserved for open areas, surfaces, or being in the general vicinity of something.