Breakdown of Saalis pakenee täpärästi, kun kotka syöksyy.
kun
when (conjunction)
paeta
to flee
kotka
eagle
saalis
prey
täpärästi
narrowly
syöksyä
to dive
Questions & Answers about Saalis pakenee täpärästi, kun kotka syöksyy.
This lesson teaches the fifth infinitive (-maisillaan). How would you change this sentence to say "...when the eagle is about to dive"?
You would change kotka syöksyy to kotka on syöksymäisillään. To form it, you take the third infinitive stem of syöksyä (syöksymä-), add the plural adessive marker (-isillä-), and finish with the third-person possessive suffix (-än). Because this construction requires the verb "to be", you also add on.
How would you apply this lesson's grammar to the first half to say "The prey was just about to escape"?
You would say Saalis oli pakenemaisillaan. You use the past tense oli (was), and build the fifth infinitive from the strong stem pakene-. You add -ma-, the plural adessive -isilla-, and the possessive suffix -an.
Why does the verb pakenee have a k when its dictionary form is paeta?
Paeta (to escape/flee) is a Type 6 verb, which undergoes reverse consonant gradation. The dictionary form is in the weak grade (indicated by the lack of a consonant between a and e). When conjugated, it strengthens, introducing the k to form the stem pakene-.
Täpärästi means "narrowly". What is the base adjective and how is it used?
The base adjective is täpärä (tight, close, or narrow—specifically in the sense of a "close call"). Adding -sti turns it into the adverb used here. A common phrase you might hear at this level is täpärä tilanne, meaning a close call or a tight situation.
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