Breakdown of Pyyntihintahan on liian matala, mutta polkupyörä on ruosteinen.
olla
to be
mutta
but
matala
shallow, low
polkupyörä
bicycle
liian
too (excessively)
ruosteinen
rusty
pyyntihinta
the asking price
Questions & Answers about Pyyntihintahan on liian matala, mutta polkupyörä on ruosteinen.
Since this lesson is about the "liian... -kseen" (too... to) construction, why is there no infinitive verb here?
This sentence simply states two facts without expressing an action that is prevented by the adjective. The construction you are currently learning requires a blocked action. If we wanted to use it here, we could add one, for example: Pyyntihinta on liian matala herättääkseen luottamusta (The asking price is too low to inspire trust).
What nuance does the -han suffix add to Pyyntihintahan?
The -han suffix indicates that a piece of information is already known to both the speaker and the listener, or is an obvious fact. By attaching it to the subject, the speaker is acknowledging, "The asking price is too low, as we can both plainly see," before explaining the reason (the rust).
Why is the price described as matala (shallow/low) rather than halpa (cheap)?
In Finnish, just like in English, a price (hinta) itself cannot be "cheap" or "expensive"; it is described as "low" (matala or alhainen) or "high" (korkea). You use halpa (cheap) and kallis (expensive) to describe the actual item being sold. Therefore, you say hinta on matala, but polkupyörä on halpa.
How is the word pyyntihinta (asking price) formed?
It is a compound word made of pyynti and hinta (price). The noun pyynti comes from the verb pyytää, which means "to ask" or "to request". Therefore, pyyntihinta is literally the "requested price".
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