Breakdown of Kaksi potilasta kieltäytyi lääkkeestä, saati sitten neulasta.
kaksi
two
lääke
medicine
kieltäytyä
to refuse
potilas
the patient
saati sitten
let alone
neula
needle
Questions & Answers about Kaksi potilasta kieltäytyi lääkkeestä, saati sitten neulasta.
Why is neulasta in the elative case (-sta) here?
When using saati sitten (let alone), the noun that follows it must match the grammatical case of the noun it is being compared to. Because the patients refused the medicine (lääkkeestä), and the verb kieltäytyä (to refuse) requires the elative case, the needle (neulasta) must also be in the elative.
Why does kieltäytyä (to refuse) require the elative case (lääkkeestä) instead of the partitive or illative?
Could I use puhumattakaan in this sentence instead?
Yes! You could say ..., puhumattakaan neulasta (not to mention the needle). Just like saati sitten, it usually shares the same case ending as the thing you are comparing it to. Both phrases are used in negative or limiting contexts to add an even stronger point.
I'm confused by the spelling of lääkkeestä. Doesn't the basic word lääke only have one 'k'?
Yes, the basic dictionary form is lääke. However, words ending in -e undergo inverse consonant gradation. This means a 'weak' consonant in the basic form becomes 'strong' in the stem. The single k becomes a double kk, and the final -e doubles as well, giving the stem lääkkee- before adding the -stä ending.
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