Learn Finnish: Pomoa lukuun ottamatta kaikki osallistujat istuivat hiljaa. - Except for the boss, all participants sat quietly.

The phrase lukuun ottamatta (except for) usually acts as a postposition that requires the preceding noun to be in the partitive case. This aligns perfectly with the main rule you are practicing in this lesson.

Can lukuun ottamatta be placed before the word it modifies?

Yes! Although it is used here as a postposition (pomoa lukuun ottamatta), it can also function as a preposition (lukuun ottamatta pomoa). The meaning and the partitive case requirement remain exactly the same.

What is the grammatical breakdown of the phrase lukuun ottamatta?

It literally translates to 'without taking into count'. Lukuun is the illative (into) case of luku (count or number). Ottamatta is the abessive (without) form of the third infinitive of the verb ottaa (to take). Understanding this makes the phrase much easier to remember!

Why use the word hiljaa instead of a standard adverb ending in -sti, like hiljaisesti?

While hiljaisesti is a valid adverb meaning 'in a quiet manner', hiljaa is the most common and idiomatic way to say someone is being silent, quiet, or physically still. It is technically a fossilized partitive form but functions purely as a set adverb today.