Ruoka antaa energiaa.

the food

Breakdown of Ruoka antaa energiaa.

• antaa: to give
• energia: the energy

Questions & Answers about Ruoka antaa energiaa.

Why is energiaa in the partitive case rather than in the nominative form?

In Finnish, the partitive case is used for objects that represent an indefinite or partial quantity rather than a complete, countable whole. In Ruoka antaa energiaa, energiaa (from the base energia) is in the partitive because it emphasizes that food provides an indefinite amount of energy, not a fully completed or bounded amount.

Why does Finnish not include an article such as the or a in this sentence?

Finnish does not have articles. Instead, meanings like definiteness are inferred from context and the use of cases. This means that ruoka simply means food—whether one interprets it as a general statement or a specific instance is determined by context, not by an article.

What does the verb antaa indicate about subject agreement and tense in this sentence?

The verb antaa is in the present tense and is conjugated to agree with its singular subject, ruoka. Finnish verbs change form to match the person and number of their subject, so antaa is correctly used here for a third person singular subject performing the action of giving.

Is the word order in Ruoka antaa energiaa fixed, or can it be rearranged without changing the meaning?

Finnish word order is relatively flexible due to its reliance on case markings to indicate grammatical roles. While the standard word order is subject-verb-object as in Ruoka antaa energiaa, you can rearrange the words (for example, Energiaa antaa ruoka) to shift emphasis without changing the overall meaning of the sentence.

What is the base form of energiaa, and how is its partitive form formed?

The base form of energiaa is energia, meaning energy. To form the partitive, Finnish typically modifies the ending of the noun; for many words ending in a vowel, an extra vowel is added or the ending is altered to signal that the noun is only partly affected by the action. In this case, energia becomes energiaa to denote an unbounded or partial quantity of energy.

How does the sentence Ruoka antaa energiaa illustrate the expression of general truths in Finnish?

The sentence is written in the present tense and follows a straightforward subject-verb-object structure, which is common when stating general facts or universal ideas in Finnish. There are no additional markers that limit the statement to a one-time event; instead, it presents the idea that food generally provides energy, reflecting a typical way of expressing general truths.