Breakdown of Tein hänelle palveluksen, koska jokainen hyvä teko on tärkeä.
olla
to be
hän
he / she
koska
because
hyvä
good
Questions & Answers about Tein hänelle palveluksen, koska jokainen hyvä teko on tärkeä.
This lesson is about using the translative case with tehdä. Why isn't there a translative word in this sentence?
Because you aren't changing someone's state or making them into something (like making someone happy, Tein hänet iloiseksi). Here, tehdä just has its basic meaning of 'to do'. You are simply doing a favor (palveluksen), so the sentence takes a normal object instead of a translative complement.
Why is the word hän in the allative case (hänelle)?
The allative case (ending in -lle) is used to show who benefits from an action or who it is directed towards. It translates perfectly here as doing a favor 'for' him or 'to' him.
Why is the object palveluksen rather than the partitive palvelusta?
Because the action is complete and you did one whole favor, making it a total object. It takes the genitive-looking accusative ending -n. If the sentence were negative (I didn't do a favor), you would use the partitive palvelusta.
Is the word teko (deed) related to the verb tehdä (to do)?
Yes! Teko is a noun derived straight from the verb tehdä. It literally means an act or a deed, representing the thing that has been done.