Questions & Answers about Kirja on repun sisässä.
Why is the word for backpack, reppu, written here as repun?
Postpositions in Finnish, which are words describing location like inside or under, usually require the noun before them to be in the genitive case. The genitive ending is -n, making it literally translate to the backpack's inside.
Where did the double pp from reppu go?
Adding the -n ending triggers a spelling rule called consonant gradation. Because the ending closes the final syllable, the strong double consonant pp weakens to a single p.
What does the -ssä ending on sisässä mean?
The ending -ssä is the inessive case, which tells us that something is inside. The base word sisä means inner or interior, so adding -ssä literally creates the meaning in the interior or inside.
Is there another way to say in the backpack without using sisässä?
Yes! You can simply attach the in ending directly to the backpack by saying repussa. Using repun sisässä just adds extra emphasis that the book is completely enclosed inside the backpack.
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