Breakdown of Pesuhuoneen laatoitus oli kaksi kertaa kalliimpi kuin keittiön.
olla
to be
kallis
expensive
kaksi
two
kerta
time
Questions & Answers about Pesuhuoneen laatoitus oli kaksi kertaa kalliimpi kuin keittiön.
Why does Finnish use the comparative kalliimpi (more expensive) to mean 'as expensive as'?
When expressing exact multiples ('twice as', 'three times as'), Finnish uses [number] kertaa followed by the comparative adjective. So 'twice as expensive' is literally expressed as 'two times more expensive' (kaksi kertaa kalliimpi).
Is it also possible to express this multiplier using a partitive noun without kertaa?
No. While the partitive + comparative structure is used for units of measure (e.g., metriä pidempi, 'a meter longer') or fractions (puolta pienempi, 'half as small'), exact multipliers like 'twice' or 'three times' require the kertaa structure.
Why does the sentence end with the genitive keittiön instead of a nominative word?
It translates directly to 'the kitchen's'. Just as in English, you do not need to repeat the head noun (laatoitus) if it is obvious from the first half of the sentence. The genitive keittiön can stand alone to mean 'the kitchen's tiling'.
How is the noun laatoitus formed?
It is derived from the noun laatta (tile). From that root comes the verb laatoittaa (to lay tiles), and adding the -us suffix turns the verb into the noun laatoitus (the act or result of tiling).