Breakdown of Koordinaatit alkavat tontin kulmasta sadan metrin päästä.
sata
one hundred
alkaa
to start
kulma
corner
metri
the meter
tontti
the plot
päästä
from a distance of
koordinaatti
the coordinate
Questions & Answers about Koordinaatit alkavat tontin kulmasta sadan metrin päästä.
Why does this sentence use päästä instead of päässä?
The verb alkaa (to start or begin) acts as a directional verb in Finnish; things start from somewhere. Because the starting point is viewed as the origin of a movement or span, it requires the elative (from) case. Therefore, we use the directional postposition päästä (from a distance) rather than the static päässä (at a distance).
Why is the measurement written as sadan metrin instead of sata metriä?
The postpositions päässä and päästä require the preceding measurement phrase to be in the genitive case. This means both the number (sata) and the unit of measurement (metri) must take the genitive -n ending, becoming sadan metrin.
Is it a coincidence that both kulmasta and päästä have the from ending?
No, they align perfectly because of the verb alkaa. The coordinates start from the corner (kulmasta, using the elative -sta ending) and they start from a specific distance (päästä, using the elative -stä ending). The postposition naturally mimics the directional case required by the main verb.
What kind of plot does tontti refer to?
Tontti specifically refers to a surveyed plot of land, a building site, or a residential lot. It is the exact word you will see on zoning maps, real estate listings, and property boundaries.
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