Valokuva todentaa rekisterinumeron.

The photograph verifies the license plate number.

Breakdown of Valokuva todentaa rekisterinumeron.

• valokuva: the photo
• rekisterinumero: the license plate number
• todentaa: to verify; authenticate

Questions & Answers about Valokuva todentaa rekisterinumeron.

Why does rekisterinumeron end in -n?

Because it is the object of the verb, and in this sentence it is a total object: the photograph verifies the whole registration number as a complete result.

In Finnish, a singular total object in a normal affirmative sentence often has the same form as the genitive singular, which ends in -n.

So:

• rekisterinumero = base form / dictionary form
• rekisterinumeron = total object form here

A learner will often see this explained in two slightly different ways:

• some grammar books call it genitive object
• others call it accusative, but note that for most nouns it looks the same as the genitive

So in practice, for this sentence, the important thing is: -n marks the object as complete/whole.

Why isn’t it rekisterinumeroa?