Breakdown of Uusi lempinimeni on Karhu, koska ystäväni kutsuvat minua Karhuksi.
olla
to be
minä
I
uusi
new
koska
because
ystävä
friend
karhu
bear
lempinimi
nickname
kutsua
to call (someone something)
Questions & Answers about Uusi lempinimeni on Karhu, koska ystäväni kutsuvat minua Karhuksi.
Why is Bear in the translative case (Karhuksi) at the end of the sentence, but in the nominative (Karhu) at the beginning?
This showcases the rection of the verb kutsua (to call). When you call someone by a name or title, that name must be in the translative case (Karhuksi). In the first clause, it is a basic "A is B" sentence (My nickname is Bear), so Karhu stays in the nominative case.
Why is the word for "me" in the partitive case (minua)?
The verb kutsua requires its object to be in the partitive case when it means "to call someone by a name". So, the person being called takes the partitive (minua), and the name they receive takes the translative (Karhuksi).
The word ystäväni can mean "my friend" or "my friends". How do we know it is plural here?
We know it is plural because of the verb kutsuvat (they call). When adding a possessive suffix like -ni to a nominative plural noun (like ystävät), the plural -t marker is dropped. This makes the singular and plural forms of ystäväni look completely identical, so you have to rely on the verb to find the number.
Does the verb kutsua always use this partitive plus translative structure?
Only when it means "to call someone by a name". The verb kutsua also means "to invite". When used to mean "invite", the object is usually a total object (like the accusative minut) and the destination is in the illative (like juhliin). The translative case is your big clue that the sentence is about naming.
Learn Uusi lempinimeni on Karhu, koska ystäväni kutsuvat minua Karhuksi and more in Finnish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free