Questions & Answers about Pelaan sinun puolestasi.
Wait, why is it sinun (genitive) here? I thought this lesson was about postpositions that take the partitive.
While the current lesson focuses on postpositions like varten or vastaan that require the partitive case, puolesta (on behalf of) is a very common postposition that requires the genitive case. Because postpositions can govern different cases, we must use the genitive sinun here instead of the partitive sinua. It is a good reminder to always check which case a postposition demands!
What is the base word of puolestasi, and what do its endings actually mean?
The base word is the noun puoli, which means side or half. By putting it into the elative case (-sta), we get puolesta, which literally means from the side of but translates as on behalf of. Finally, the -si at the end is the possessive suffix matching the pronoun sinun.
Why does the postposition puolesta get a possessive suffix (-si) added to it?
In Finnish, when a postposition that takes the genitive case is used with a personal pronoun (like minun, sinun, or hänen), you must attach a matching possessive suffix to the postposition itself. It follows the exact same pattern as owning a noun, like saying sinun autosi (your car).
Can I leave out the word sinun and just say Pelaan puolestasi?
Yes, you absolutely can! Just like with regular nouns, the first and second person pronouns (minun, sinun, meidän, teidän) are optional because the possessive suffix (here, -si) already makes it completely clear who you are talking about. Pelaan puolestasi is very natural and commonly used.
Learn Pelaan sinun puolestasi 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