Word
Astiat laitetaan pöydälle päällekkäin.
Meaning
The dishes are put on the table on top of each other.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Astiat laitetaan pöydälle päällekkäin.
pöytä
table
laittaa
to put
astia
dish
päällekkäin
on top of each other
Questions & Answers about Astiat laitetaan pöydälle päällekkäin.
How does the suffix -kkäin work in the word päällekkäin?
The root is related to pää (head/top), which we see in words like päällä (on top). Adding the mutual arrangement suffix -kkäin means the items are positioned in relation to each other. Here, it translates to stacked "on top of one another".
Why do we use pöydälle (onto the table) instead of pöydällä (on the table)?
The verb laittaa (to put) implies movement towards a destination. In Finnish, you must use a directional case (like the allative -lle) when placing something somewhere, even though in English we just say "put on the table".
Why does the sentence use laitetaan rather than an active verb?
Laitetaan is the passive form of laittaa (to put). Finnish uses the passive voice when the person doing the action is unspecified or unimportant, perfectly matching the English "The dishes are put".
Why is the object astiat in its basic plural form instead of the partitive?
In passive sentences, a complete or "total" object takes the basic nominative form rather than the accusative or genitive. Because the action applies to the whole group of dishes as a completed action, it stays as astiat.