Breakdown of Diplomaatti lähetti viestin ulkoministeriön kautta.
viesti
message
lähettää
to send
kautta
via
diplomaatti
diplomat
Questions & Answers about Diplomaatti lähetti viestin ulkoministeriön kautta.
Why is the word for the ministry in the genitive case (ulkoministeriön) here?
It is governed by the postposition kautta (via / by means of), which requires the word before it to be in the genitive case. In this sentence, the ministry is the abstract medium or channel through which the message is sent.
Can kautta be used for physical movement through a space, or is it only for abstract channels like a ministry?
It can be used for both! You can use it for abstract channels, as in this sentence, or for physical paths, like Kävelin puiston kautta (I walked through the park). In both cases, the word preceding it takes the genitive case.
Why is the object viestin in the genitive (accusative) case instead of the partitive?
The verb lähettää (to send) takes a total object when a specific, whole thing is sent and the action is completed. Because the diplomat sent one complete message, viestin takes the genitive-like accusative ending -n. If they were sending an unspecified amount of messages, it would be in the partitive: Diplomaatti lähetti viestejä.
How does the suffix -ö change the meaning of the root word in ulkoministeriö?