Minä odotan vastausta.

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Breakdown of Minä odotan vastausta.

• odottaa: to wait for
• vastaus: the answer

Questions & Answers about Minä odotan vastausta.

Why is vastausta in the partitive case instead of just vastaus?

In Finnish, the verb odottaa (to wait) typically takes its object in the partitive case when referring to something open-ended or not fully complete. Since you are waiting for an answer (which may not be definitive or at a specific stage yet), vastaus becomes vastausta in the partitive.

Can I remove the pronoun minä and still be correct?

Yes. In Finnish, personal pronouns can often be omitted because the verb form indicates the subject. Thus, odotan vastausta is perfectly acceptable and understood as I am waiting for an answer.

Is there a specific rule about verbs like odottaa always using the partitive case?

Yes. Many Finnish verbs that express waiting, wanting, liking, or otherwise dealing with incomplete or uncountable concepts often govern the partitive. Odottaa is one of these verbs, which is why its direct object must generally be in the partitive case.

Does odotan change form depending on who is speaking?

Yes. Finnish verbs conjugate according to person and number. For I wait, you use odotan. For we wait, it becomes odotamme, and so on. The pronoun can be included or dropped because the verb form makes the subject clear.