Breakdown of Oletko ollut unohtavainen viime aikoina?
olla
to be
aika
time (concept, duration)
viime
last (as in "last year")
unohtavainen
forgetful
Questions & Answers about Oletko ollut unohtavainen viime aikoina?
How is unohtavainen formed and what does the -vainen suffix do?
It is formed from the verb unohtaa (to forget). The suffix -vainen (or -väinen depending on vowel harmony) creates an adjective that describes a tendency, personality trait, or habit. Here, it turns the action of forgetting into the ongoing trait of being forgetful.
Which verb stem of unohtaa is used to attach the -vainen suffix?
You attach it to the strong vowel stem of the verb. For unohtaa, the strong stem is unohta- (the same stem used for the third-person singular hän unohtaa). You simply add -vainen directly to it to make unohtavainen.
Why is the time expression viime aikoina in the plural essive case (-ina)?
The phrase viime aikoina translates literally to in recent times. The essive case is commonly used to indicate a state or period of time, and this plural form is the standard, fixed way to say lately or recently over a continuous span of days or weeks.
Why does this sentence use the perfect tense oletko ollut instead of a simple past or present tense?
Just like in English, the perfect tense is needed here because of the time phrase viime aikoina (lately). It describes a state that started in the recent past and continues right up to the present moment, linking the past and the present together.
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