Breakdown of On kyseenalaista, että eettinen periaate muuttuu usein.
olla
to be
usein
often
että
that (conjunction)
muuttua
to change
kyseenalainen
questionable
eettinen
ethical
periaate
principle
Questions & Answers about On kyseenalaista, että eettinen periaate muuttuu usein.
Why is kyseenalaista in the partitive case here instead of the nominative kyseenalainen?
Because the subject of the sentence is an että clause, the adjective describing it must be evaluated based on its type. Kyseenalainen (questionable) is an evaluative adjective—it expresses a judgment or opinion about the clause—so it takes the partitive case (kyseenalaista). If it were a strict truth-value adjective stating a fact (like varma for "certain"), it would take the nominative case.
Could we ever use the nominative kyseenalainen for "questionable"?
Yes, if the subject of the sentence were a regular noun instead of a whole että clause. For example, in the sentence Tämä eettinen periaate on kyseenalainen (This ethical principle is questionable), you use the nominative because the adjective is describing a standard singular noun.
Why use the verb muuttuu for "changes" here instead of vaihtuu?
The verb muuttua means that a specific thing alters its shape, form, or nature over time—which fits a principle evolving. The verb vaihtua, on the other hand, means to be swapped out or replaced by a completely different thing (like changing your clothes or changing tires).
Why is the adverb usein placed at the very end of the sentence?
In Finnish, adverbs of time and frequency like usein usually sit towards the end of their clause, after the verb and its objects. While placing it before the verb (...että eettinen periaate usein muuttuu) is grammatically possible, it places a heavy, somewhat poetic emphasis on the word "often". Putting it at the end sounds much more natural and neutral.
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