Questions & Answers about Minun kummisetäni on äreähkö mies.
How does the -hkö suffix change the meaning of the adjective here?
The suffix -hkö (or -hko) softens the adjective, adding the meaning of somewhat, rather, or -ish. Here it is added to the base adjective äreä (grumpy) to make äreähkö (somewhat grumpy). We use the -hkö variant instead of -hko because äreä contains the front vowels ä and e, following standard vowel harmony rules.
Does an adjective ending in -hkö decline in different cases like a normal adjective?
Yes! Once you add the -hko or -hkö suffix, it becomes part of the word stem. You simply attach standard case endings directly to it. For example, if you wanted to say from a somewhat grumpy man in the ablative case, it would be äreähköltä mieheltä.
Why do we use both the pronoun Minun and the possessive suffix -ni in Minun kummisetäni?
In standard written Finnish, it is grammatically correct to use both the genitive pronoun Minun and the matching possessive suffix -ni. However, you can safely drop Minun and just say Kummisetäni. Note that in relaxed spoken Finnish, people usually do the exact opposite: they keep the pronoun but drop the suffix, saying Mun kummisetä.
What are the root words that make up kummisetä?
It is a compound word made up of kummi (godparent or sponsor) and setä (uncle). By using the same logic, a godmother is a kummitäti (godparent plus aunt).
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