Breakdown of Aiomme yöpyä lomalla mahdollisimman halvalla.
halpa
cheap
loma
vacation
aikoa
to intend, to be going to
mahdollisimman
as ... as possible
Questions & Answers about Aiomme yöpyä lomalla mahdollisimman halvalla.
How does the phrase mahdollisimman halvalla translate to "as cheaply as possible"?
The word mahdollisimman is the genitive form of the superlative adjective mahdollisin (the most possible). When you place mahdollisimman in front of an adjective or adverb, it acts as a maximizer meaning "as [X] as possible." In this sentence, it modifies the adverbial form halvalla (cheaply).
Why do we use the adessive case halvalla to mean "cheaply" instead of a regular adverb ending like -sti?
While you can often form adverbs with -sti, Finnish commonly uses the adessive case (-lla/-llä) on adjectives related to price to indicate how much something costs. Therefore, halvalla is the natural way to say "cheaply" (literally "at a cheap price"), just as kalliilla is used for "expensively."
Could I use jäädä or asua instead of yöpyä to mean "stay" here?
Not without changing the meaning. Yöpyä specifically means "to spend the night" or "to lodge" (notice the root word yö, meaning night). Asua means "to live or reside" somewhere longer-term, and jäädä means "to stay behind or remain," neither of which fits the context of booking holiday accommodation.
Why is "on the holiday" translated as lomalla using the adessive case?