Breakdown of Oliko kurssi kallis laatuun nähden?
olla
to be
kallis
expensive
kurssi
course
laatu
the quality
nähden
relative to
Questions & Answers about Oliko kurssi kallis laatuun nähden?
How does the phrase laatuun nähden work here to mean 'relative to'?
The word nähden is a postposition that means 'relative to', 'compared to', or 'considering'. It always requires the preceding noun to be in the illative case (the 'into' case). Here, laatu (quality) takes the illative ending -un to become laatuun.
Does nähden always come after the noun, or can it be a preposition?
It functions strictly as a postposition, so it must come right after the noun it modifies. You must say laatuun nähden; you cannot say nähden laatuun.
Could I use the partitive case here for comparison instead of nähden?
No, because you aren't saying the course was 'more expensive than' the quality (which wouldn't make logical sense). The postposition nähden is used specifically to express proportion or relativity, weighing one concept against another.
Is the word nähden related to the verb nähdä (to see)?
Yes! It is historically formed from the verb nähdä. You can think of laatuun nähden as literally meaning 'when looking into the quality.' This is a great trick to help you remember why it requires the illative 'into' case.
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