Breakdown of Kikatin, koska en voinut salata asiaa ollenkaan.
koska
because
ei
no / not (en, et, ei, emme, ette, eivät)
voida
can, to be able to
asia
thing, matter
ollenkaan
at all
kikattaa
to giggle
salata
to conceal
Questions & Answers about Kikatin, koska en voinut salata asiaa ollenkaan.
How could we express 'without concealing the matter at all' using the 3rd infinitive structure from this lesson?
You can use the verb salata in the 3rd infinitive abessive (salaamatta) and add the first-person possessive suffix (-ni) to match the subject 'I'. This creates the phrase salaamattani asiaa ollenkaan (without my concealing the matter at all).
Why is the object asiaa in the partitive case here instead of the accusative?
Because the main action is negative (en voinut salata). In Finnish, whenever the verb phrase is negative, the object must be in the partitive case, regardless of whether the action would normally be considered complete or total.
Can I use ollenkaan in a positive sentence to mean 'at all' or 'completely'?
No, ollenkaan is strictly a negative polarity word, meaning it must be used with a negative verb (like en, ei) to mean 'at all'. To say 'completely' in a positive sentence, you would use adverbs like täysin or kokonaan.
What is the infinitive form of kikatin, and why does it only have one t?
The infinitive is kikattaa (to giggle). It is a Type 1 verb, which means it undergoes consonant gradation when the syllable becomes closed. Adding the past tense and first-person ending (-in) closes the final syllable, weakening the strong double tt to a single t.
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