Breakdown of Polku oli sen verran huono, että uudet kengät alkoivat hiertää.
olla
to be
uusi
new
huono
bad
alkaa
to start
kenkä
the shoe
että
that (conjunction)
sen verran
so much / to such an extent
polku
the path
hiertää
to chafe
Questions & Answers about Polku oli sen verran huono, että uudet kengät alkoivat hiertää.
How does sen verran ... että differ from just using niin ... että (so ... that) here?
While niin huono, että simply means 'so bad that', sen verran stresses the exact extent or degree of the badness. You can think of it as meaning 'bad to the extent that' or 'just bad enough that'.
What exactly is the word verran in this construction?
Why is the verb hiertää in the basic dictionary form rather than hiertämään?
The verb alkaa traditionally requires the basic first infinitive, so alkoivat hiertää is the standard written form. While alkoivat hiertämään is very common in modern spoken Finnish and is now officially accepted, the first infinitive remains the safest choice for formal writing.
Is hiertää the standard verb for shoes giving you blisters?
Yes! Hiertää means to chafe, rub, or cause friction. When talking about shoes or clothing rubbing uncomfortably against your skin, it is the most natural verb to use. You might also hear the verb hankaa used in the exact same way.
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