Learn Finnish: Kaikki olivat uupuneita, mutta he juoksivat kuitenkin. - Everyone was exhausted, but they ran anyway.

Adverbial connectors like kuitenkin (however/anyway) have a flexible word order. When used in the same clause as mutta (but), kuitenkin rarely sits directly next to it. Placing it at the end of the clause emphasizes the unexpected nature of the action, translating best to "anyway" in this context.

Could I use silti instead of kuitenkin here?

Yes, you could say mutta he juoksivat silti. Both words express contrast and work perfectly here. While kuitenkin often translates to "however" or "anyway," silti leans slightly closer to "still" or "nevertheless." In this specific sentence, they are practically interchangeable.

In English, "everyone" is singular. Why does kaikki use the plural verb olivat?

When kaikki refers to people (meaning "everyone" or "all"), it acts as a plural subject in Finnish. Therefore, it requires the plural verb form olivat, unlike the singular verb used in English.

Why is the adjective uupuneita in the partitive plural?

The base word is uupunut (exhausted). Because the subject kaikki (everyone) is treated as a plural group, the adjective describing them must also be plural. When describing the state or condition of a plural subject, the predicative adjective takes the partitive case, resulting in the partitive plural uupuneita.