Breakdown of Koirista johtuen etupenkki oli tyhjä, ja istuimme takapenkillä.
olla
to be
koira
dog
ja
and
istua
to sit
tyhjä
empty
johtua
to result from
etupenkki
front seat
takapenkki
backseat
Questions & Answers about Koirista johtuen etupenkki oli tyhjä, ja istuimme takapenkillä.
Why does johtuen require the elative case (koirista)?
Johtuen comes from the verb johtua (to stem from / to be due to). Just like the verb, it requires the elative case (-sta/-stä) to express what something stems from. It acts like a postposition here but keeps its original verb's case requirement.
What grammatical form is johtuen?
It is the E-infinitive (also known as the second infinitive) in the instructive case. This form is typically used to express the manner or cause of an action, functioning similarly to an "-ing" participle in English, like "resulting from".
We sit "in" the backseat in English. Why does Finnish use the adessive case (takapenkillä) instead of the inessive (takapenkissä)?
In Finnish, you generally sit "on" seats, chairs, and benches, so they take the outer locative cases (-lla/-llä). Using the inessive (-ssa/-ssä) would imply you are physically trapped inside the upholstery of the seat!
Could I say koirien takia instead of koirista johtuen?
Yes! Koirien takia (because of the dogs) is much more common in everyday speech. Koirista johtuen is a bit more formal, translating closer to "due to the dogs." Just remember that takia requires the genitive case (koirien), while johtuen requires the elative (koirista).
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