Breakdown of Nämä säästöt ovat nelinkertaisia!
olla
to be
nämä
these
säästö
the saving
nelinkertainen
quadruple
Questions & Answers about Nämä säästöt ovat nelinkertaisia!
Why is the word for "fourfold" nelinkertainen and not neljänkertainen?
When forming multiplicative adjectives with the suffix -kertainen, the numbers 2, 3, and 4 use a special combining form where the final vowel becomes an -i- before adding an -n. This gives us kaksinkertainen (double), kolminkertainen (triple), and nelinkertainen (quadruple). Most numbers from five onwards simply add -n to their base form, like viisinkertainen (fivefold) or kymmenenkertainen (tenfold).
Why is nelinkertaisia in the partitive plural instead of the nominative plural (nelinkertaiset)?
In Finnish, a predicative adjective (an adjective that describes the subject after the verb olla) must be in the partitive plural if the plural subject is abstract, uncountable, or expresses a mass. Because säästöt (savings) represents an abstract concept of money or resources rather than concrete, individual objects, the adjective takes the partitive plural nelinkertaisia.
Can the suffix -kertainen be used with words other than numbers?
Yes! While it is highly common with numbers, you can also attach it to certain adjectives and pronouns to express proportional amounts. A very common example for a B2 learner is moninkertainen, which translates to "manifold" or "many times over".
Does säästöt always have to be plural when talking about savings?
Not always, but it mirrors English usage very closely. You can use the singular säästö to talk about a single specific instance of saving (e.g., Tämä on iso säästö - This is a big saving). However, when referring to accumulated money or an overall reduction in costs, it is perfectly natural to use the plural säästöt.
Learn Nämä säästöt ovat nelinkertaisia 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