Breakdown of Kutsuvatko he sinua suurmestarina, kun sinä pidät huppua?
sinä
you
he
they
kun
when (conjunction)
kutsua
to call (someone something)
Questions & Answers about Kutsuvatko he sinua suurmestarina, kun sinä pidät huppua?
Why is the object sinua in the partitive case instead of the accusative?
When the verb kutsua means "to call someone [by a name or title]", it is a partitive verb. Therefore, the person being called must always be in the partitive case (sinua), rather than taking an accusative total object.
Why is the title in the essive case (suurmestarina) rather than the translative case (suurmestariksi)?
While the translative case (suurmestariksi) is the most traditional way to express what someone is called, the essive case (-na/-nä) is also used as a complement to emphasize the role, capacity, or state they are being assigned (literally "called as a grand master"). Both cases fulfill this labeling function with verbs like kutsua and sanoa.
How does pitää translate to "to wear" here, and why does it take the partitive huppua?
The versatile verb pitää translates to "to wear" when referring to keeping an item of clothing on your body. Because wearing is an ongoing, continuous state rather than a completed, instantaneous action, it requires a partitive object (huppua).
Could we drop the personal pronouns he and sinä from this sentence?