Breakdown of Emme mitanneet mittasuhteita, joten käytävä ei ollut kaksi kertaa leveämpi.
olla
to be
ei
no / not (en, et, ei, emme, ette, eivät)
kaksi
two
kerta
time
mitata
to measure
leveä
wide
käytävä
corridor
joten
so, therefore
mittasuhde
proportion (size or scale)
Questions & Answers about Emme mitanneet mittasuhteita, joten käytävä ei ollut kaksi kertaa leveämpi.
Why does Finnish use the comparative leveämpi (wider) instead of the basic adjective form when English says 'twice as wide'?
In Finnish, scalar differences and exact multiples always use the comparative form of the adjective. You literally say kaksi kertaa leveämpi (two times wider) to express 'twice as wide'.
Could we express this using a partitive noun instead, like puolta leveämpi?
No, because the math is different. puolta leveämpi literally means 'wider by a half', making it 1.5 times as wide. To say 'twice as wide', you need the numeral phrase kaksi kertaa.
Why is the object mittasuhteita in the partitive case?
The sentence is negative (Emme mitanneet). In Finnish, the object of a negative sentence is strictly always in the partitive case, regardless of whether the action was completed or not.
I recognise käytävä as meaning 'corridor', but isn't it also a verb form?
Spot on! It is originally the present passive participle of the verb käydä (to go, to walk). Literally it means 'a place to be walked', but it has become the standard noun for a corridor or aisle.
Why is the verb mitanneet in the plural form here?
In the negative past tense, the main verb takes the active past participle form (-nut or -nyt for singular). Because the subject is 'we' (emme), the participle must agree in the plural, ending in -neet.
Learn Emme mitanneet mittasuhteita, joten käytävä ei ollut kaksi kertaa leveämpi 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