Breakdown of Hän sopeutuu erämaahan hyvin nopeasti.
hän
he / she
nopeasti
fast
hyvin
very
sopeutua
to adapt to
Questions & Answers about Hän sopeutuu erämaahan hyvin nopeasti.
Why is erämaahan in the illative (into) case?
The verb sopeutua (to adapt) dictates the case here. In Finnish, you don't adapt "to" a situation, you adapt "into" it, which is why it requires the illative case. This is a strict rule, known as verb rection, that also applies to similar verbs like tottua (to get used to).
How is the illative ending formed for the word erämaa?
The base word erämaa ends in a long vowel. When a word ends in a single long vowel or a diphthong, the illative ending takes the form of -hVn, where V repeats the preceding vowel. That gives us erämaahan.
Is sopeutua only used for physical environments like the wilderness?
Not at all! While erämaa (wilderness) is a physical place, sopeutua is very commonly used for abstract situations as well. For example, you can say sopeutua uuteen työhön (to adapt to a new job) or sopeutua kulttuuriin (to adapt to a culture).
What is the difference between sopeutua and tottua since they both take the illative case?
Sopeutua means "to adapt" or "to adjust," implying an active change in your behavior or mindset to fit the new environment. Tottua just means "to get used to" or "to become accustomed to" something over time. They are closely related, but sopeutua often implies more active effort or a larger adjustment.