Breakdown of Pysyimme mökissä, kunnes myrsky tyyntyi.
mökki
the cottage
myrsky
storm
pysyä
to stay (remain in a state or position)
kunnes
until
tyyntyä
to calm down (weather, wind, sea)
Questions & Answers about Pysyimme mökissä, kunnes myrsky tyyntyi.
Do I always need a comma before kunnes?
Yes. In Finnish grammar, a main clause and a subordinate clause must always be separated by a comma. Because kunnes (until) introduces a subordinate clause, you must put a comma right before it, even though English usually leaves the comma out before 'until'.
Does the clause starting with kunnes follow a special word order?
No, a clause starting with kunnes simply uses standard Finnish word order, which is usually Subject-Verb. Here, the subject myrsky comes right before the verb tyyntyi. Notice that the tense also logically matches the main clause: both verbs are in the past tense.
I remember that verbs meaning 'to stay' often take the into case (illative). Why is it mökissä instead of mökkiin?
It depends on the exact verb you choose! The very common verb jäädä (to stay or remain) acts like a motion verb in Finnish and requires the illative case, as in jäimme mökkiin. However, the verb used here is pysyä, which emphasizes maintaining a steady position or state. Pysyä takes the static inessive case (the -ssä ending), so it becomes mökissä (in the cabin).
How does the verb form tyyntyi break down?
It is the past tense of tyyntyä (to calm down). This verb is built from the adjective tyyni (calm or still) plus the suffix -tyä, which means 'to become' something. The final -i is the regular past tense marker for the third-person singular.
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