Breakdown of Kairaamme uusia kuiluja sitä mukaa kun pohjavesi laskee.
uusi
new
laskea
to fall, to decrease
sitä mukaa kun
as / in proportion as (at the same rate)
kairata
to drill / to bore (into ice or earth)
kuilu
shaft / abyss
pohjavesi
groundwater
Questions & Answers about Kairaamme uusia kuiluja sitä mukaa kun pohjavesi laskee.
How does sitä mukaa kun differ from simply using samalla kun (at the same time as) here?
While both express simultaneous actions, sitä mukaa kun emphasizes a proportional rate of change. It means the drilling of new shafts happens exactly at the same pace as, or in direct response to, the groundwater dropping.
Could I just say mukaa kun and leave out the sitä?
No, sitä mukaa kun is a fixed phrase. The word sitä (the partitive of se) acts as a grammatical counterbalance to the kun clause, representing the shifting rate of the action in the main clause. You must always use the full phrase.
Why is the object uusia kuiluja in the plural partitive instead of the plural nominative uudet kuilut?
The plural partitive is used because the action is open-ended and ongoing. Since they are drilling shafts gradually in proportion to the water dropping, the total number of shafts is indefinite. If the task were fully completed, you would use the total object uudet kuilut.
Why use the verb kairata (kairaamme) instead of the more common porata for 'to drill'?
The verb kairata is specifically used for heavy-duty earth, rock, or ice boring, such as sinking mine shafts (kuiluja) or taking core samples. The verb porata is a more general word for drilling, like using a power drill on a wall or a dentist drilling a tooth.
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