Breakdown of Odotamme tulosta luottavaisin mielin.
odottaa
to wait
tulos
result
mieli
mind / opinion (mind, mood)
luottavainen
confident (trusting)
Questions & Answers about Odotamme tulosta luottavaisin mielin.
How is the phrase luottavaisin mielin formed?
This is a fixed phrase using the instructive case, which describes the manner in which something is done. The instructive is almost always used in the plural, formed by adding -n to the plural stem. The noun mieli (mind) becomes mielin, and the adjective luottavainen (confident) agrees with it, becoming luottavaisin. Literally, it translates to 'with confident minds'.
Does the adjective always have to match the noun in the instructive case?
Yes. Just like with other Finnish cases, an adjectival modifier must agree with its noun. Because mielin is in the instructive plural, luottavainen must also take its plural stem (luottavaisi-) and add the instructive ending -n, resulting in luottavaisin mielin.
Could I use the adessive case (luottavaisella mielellä) instead to mean 'with confidence'?
While the adessive case is used to mean 'with' for physical tools (like vasaralla, with a hammer), abstract states of mind and attitudes are heavily preferred in the instructive plural. The word mieli is especially common in these fixed instructive phrases, alongside others like hyvin mielin (in good spirits) or avoimin mielin (with an open mind).
Why is tulos (result) in the partitive case (tulosta)?
This is a quick refresher: the verb odottaa (to wait for) is a partitive verb. Because waiting is considered an ongoing, unbounded process in Finnish, its object must always take the partitive case.
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