Minä menen kauppaan ruokaa varten.

I go to the store for food.

Breakdown of Minä menen kauppaan ruokaa varten.

• minä: I
• mennä: to go
• kauppa: the store
• ruoka: the food
• varten: for

Questions & Answers about Minä menen kauppaan ruokaa varten.

What does minä mean, and is it necessary to include it in the sentence?

Minä means "I" in English. In Finnish, the subject pronoun is often omitted since the verb form (menen) already implies the subject. However, including minä can add extra clarity or emphasis.

How is the verb menen formed, and what does it indicate about the subject?

Menen is the first-person singular present form of the verb mennä (to go). The ending -en tells us that the action is performed by I, matching the subject minä.

Why is kauppaan in the illative case, and what role does it play in the sentence?

Kauppaan is the illative singular form of kauppa (store). The illative case indicates movement into or toward a place, so kauppaan shows that the action of going is directed toward the store.

What is the function of the phrase ruokaa varten, and why is ruokaa in the partitive case?

The phrase ruokaa varten translates to "for food" and specifies the purpose of the action. Ruokaa is in the partitive case because, with the postposition varten (meaning "for the sake of"), the preceding noun typically takes the partitive, especially when referring to an indefinite amount or a general purpose.

How could the sentence be rephrased to express the idea of going to the store "to buy food"?

One alternative is Minä menen kauppaan ostamaan ruokaa. In this version, ostamaan (from ostaa, meaning "to buy") is used to explicitly state the purpose, namely, going to the store to buy food.