Breakdown of Älkäämme antako heille mahdollisuuttakaan, sillä olemme pahoja.
olla
to be
he
they
antaa
to give
paha
bad (evil, severe)
mahdollisuus
the opportunity
sillä
for / because (coordinating)
älkäämme
let's not
Questions & Answers about Älkäämme antako heille mahdollisuuttakaan, sillä olemme pahoja.
How does the negative imperative structure work in älkäämme antako?
This is the formal 1st person plural negative imperative, meaning "let us not". It is formed by using the negative imperative verb älkäämme followed by the main verb's weak stem plus the suffix -ko or -kö. Here, the verb antaa (to give) takes the form antako.
Would I use älkäämme antako in everyday conversation?
No, this form is highly formal and is mostly found in older literature, official speeches, or poetry. In standard spoken Finnish, you would use the passive negative instead: ei anneta (let's not give).
Break down the word mahdollisuuttakaan. Why use the partitive and the -kaan suffix here?
The base word is mahdollisuus (chance). Because the sentence is negative (älkäämme), the object of the verb must be in the partitive case, becoming mahdollisuutta. The enclitic suffix -kaan is added to mean "even" in negative contexts, making the full word mean "even a chance" (in a "not even a chance" structure).
Why is paha (evil) in the plural partitive form pahoja?
When the subject is plural (here, the implied "we" in olemme), a predicative adjective describing that subject generally takes the plural partitive case. This is the standard rule when describing qualities of a group of people or things.
Could I use koska instead of sillä for "for" or "because"?
Yes, they are mostly interchangeable when meaning "because". However, sillä has a slightly more literary or formal tone than the everyday koska. This elevated tone pairs perfectly with the highly formal imperative älkäämme used earlier in the sentence.
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