Questions & Answers about Sodan aikana kaupunki oli tyhjä.
Why is sota in the genitive case (sodan) here?
It is governed by the postposition aikana (during). Most Finnish postpositions require the noun before them to be in the genitive case. Notice also the consonant gradation: the strong t in sota softens to d in sodan.
Aikana looks like a form of the noun aika (time). Is it?
Yes! It is the essive case form of aika, literally meaning "as a time". In modern Finnish, it functions as a postposition meaning "during". You will recognize this exact same -na essive ending on the word vuonna (in the year) from this lesson.
How would I add a specific year, like "in 1944", to this sentence using the current lesson's rules?
You would use vuonna 1944. For example: Sodan aikana vuonna 1944 kaupunki oli tyhjä. Because the word vuonna takes care of the essive case requirement, the long compound number that follows it stays entirely in the basic nominative form (uninflected).
Could I change the word order to Kaupunki oli tyhjä sodan aikana?
Absolutely. Finnish word order is quite flexible. Putting the time phrase Sodan aikana at the beginning sets the scene first, while putting it at the end feels like a more neutral statement of fact.
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