Learn Finnish: Matkustan junalla kaksi kertaa kuukaudessa.

Matkustan junalla kaksi kertaa kuukaudessa.

I travel by train twice a month.

Breakdown of Matkustan junalla kaksi kertaa kuukaudessa.

Questions & Answers about Matkustan junalla kaksi kertaa kuukaudessa.

Why do we use the inessive case (kuukaudessa) to express "a month" here?

When stating how often an action occurs within a set time frame, Finnish typically uses the inessive case (-ssa/-ssä) to mean "per" or "in a". This applies to most standard time periods, such as päivässä (a day), viikossa (a week), and vuodessa (a year).

Could I use the adverb kahdesti instead of the phrase kaksi kertaa?

Yes, kahdesti means exactly the same thing ("twice") and is very natural. You can absolutely say Matkustan junalla kahdesti kuukaudessa. Kaksi kertaa is just the analytical way to say it, combining the number kaksi with the partitive singular of kerta (time).

Is junalla an example of the adessive case being used for an instrument?

Exactly. While the adessive case (-lla/-llä) is often used for location ("on top of"), it is also the standard way to express the instrument or means used to complete an action. For modes of transportation, it translates to the English "by", making junalla mean "by train".

If I wanted to emphasize that I specifically take the train (and not the bus) twice a month, how would the word order change?