Breakdown of Projekti jäi keskeneräiseksi, ja lopputulos jää nähtäväksi.
ja
and
jäädä
to stay
nähdä
to see
projekti
project
lopputulos
outcome
keskeneräinen
unfinished
Questions & Answers about Projekti jäi keskeneräiseksi, ja lopputulos jää nähtäväksi.
Why does the adjective keskeneräinen (unfinished) take the translative -ksi ending here?
The verb jäädä (to remain or stay) requires the translative case when it describes a resulting state or condition. Even though the project didn't necessarily change into something else, Finnish grammar treats 'remaining unfinished' as a state it ended up in, so it becomes jäi keskeneräiseksi.
How does the word nähtäväksi translate to 'to be seen'?
It comes from the passive present participle of nähdä (to see), which is nähtävä (something that can or must be seen). Because it acts as the resulting state for the verb jää, it also takes the translative ending, becoming nähtäväksi. The phrase jää nähtäväksi is a very common fixed expression for 'remains to be seen'.
Why is there a tense shift from jäi in the first clause to jää in the second?
The sentence contrasts a past event with a current reality. The project was left unfinished in the past, so we use the past tense jäi. However, the final result currently remains unknown and will be seen in the future, so we use the present tense jää, which Finnish also uses to talk about the future.
Is the word keskeneräinen related to the adverb kesken?
Yes. The adverb kesken means 'in the middle of' or 'interrupted'. By combining it with the suffix -eräinen (related to erä, meaning a batch or part), it forms the adjective keskeneräinen, meaning 'unfinished' or 'incomplete'.
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