Breakdown of Riisu puku ja anna se räätälille.
ja
and
antaa
to give
räätäli
the tailor
puku
suit
riisua
to take off (clothing)
Questions & Answers about Riisu puku ja anna se räätälille.
Why is the object puku instead of puvun?
When giving a direct command in the imperative mood like riisu, a total object doesn't take the usual -n ending. It stays in its basic dictionary form, which is why we use puku instead of puvun.
Does riisu specifically mean taking off clothes?
Yes, riisua means to undress or take off an item of clothing. If you were taking something off a table or removing a lid, you would use a different phrase entirely, such as ottaa pois.
Why is the object pronoun se and not sen?
Just like with puku, the object of a command drops its -n ending. Because se (it) behaves like a regular noun here, it takes the basic form se rather than sen. Keep in mind this is different for personal pronouns, which still keep their special -t endings in commands, like anna hänet (give him/her).
Why does "to the tailor" translate to räätälille?
The verb antaa (to give) requires the receiver to be in the allative case, which ends in -lle (literally meaning "onto"). Even though a tailor is a person, in Finnish you give something "onto" someone.
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