Breakdown of Saavutimme maalin huonosta säästä huolimatta.
huono
bad
sää
the weather
saavuttaa
to reach
maali
finish line (the finish area or goal)
huolimatta
despite
Questions & Answers about Saavutimme maalin huonosta säästä huolimatta.
Why are huonosta and säästä in the elative case here?
This is triggered by huolimatta (despite). This word requires the noun phrase it modifies to be in the elative case (-sta or -stä). Therefore, the basic phrase huono sää becomes huonosta säästä.
Can huolimatta be placed before the noun instead of after it?
Yes, it can. While it is very common as a postposition at the end of the phrase, huolimatta can also act as a preposition. You could write huolimatta huonosta säästä and the sentence would mean exactly the same thing.
Why is the object maalin in the genitive-like accusative case rather than the partitive?
The verb saavuttaa (to reach or to achieve) implies a successfully completed action. Because the group reached the finish line completely, the sentence requires a total object. For a singular noun like maali, the total object takes the -n ending.
Is the ending of huolimatta related to a verb form?
Yes! It comes from the verb huolia (to care or to worry). The -matta suffix is the third infinitive abessive ending, which translates to without doing something. Literally, the phrase means without worrying about the bad weather.
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