Breakdown of He alkoivat seurustella kaksi vuotta sitten.
he
they
kaksi
two
vuosi
year
alkaa
to start
sitten
ago
seurustella
to date (in a committed relationship)
Questions & Answers about He alkoivat seurustella kaksi vuotta sitten.
Why is the time phrase kaksi vuotta used here instead of the genitive case, like we use with kuluttua?
When using the postposition sitten (ago), the time amount stays in its basic subject form: the number is in the nominative (kaksi) and the noun it counts is in the partitive (vuotta). In contrast, kuluttua (in/after) requires the genitive case, so 'in two years' would be kahden vuoden kuluttua.
Why is the second verb seurustella in its basic dictionary form? Don't verbs for 'to start' usually require the -maan/-mään ending?
Most verbs meaning 'to start' (like ruveta) require the -maan/-mään form of the next verb. For a long time, alkaa was a strict exception that required the basic dictionary form, like seurustella. Because native speakers naturally mixed them up, the grammar rules were updated in 2014 to accept both alkoivat seurustella and alkoivat seurustelemaan. However, the dictionary form used here remains the most traditional choice.
Does seurustella mean going on a first date, or being in an established relationship?
It refers to being in a steady, committed relationship. If you are just going on casual dates to get to know someone, you would use the verb deittailla or the phrase käydä treffeillä.
Could I place the word before the time phrase and say sitten kaksi vuotta?
No. In Finnish, sitten (ago) is strictly a postposition, meaning it must always come directly after the time phrase it describes.
Learn He alkoivat seurustella kaksi vuotta sitten and more in Finnish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free