Älä sotke keittiötä, kun kaadat murot kulhoon.

the kitchen

Breakdown of Älä sotke keittiötä, kun kaadat murot kulhoon.

• kun: when
• älä: don't
• muro: the cereal
• sotkea: to make a mess
• kaataa: to pour
• kulho: the bowl

Questions & Answers about Älä sotke keittiötä, kun kaadat murot kulhoon.

What is the role and meaning of älä in this sentence?

Älä is the negative imperative marker in Finnish. It functions similarly to the English "don't," telling the listener not to perform an action. In the sentence "Älä sotke keittiötä, kun kaadat murot kulhoon," it instructs someone not to mess up the kitchen.

Why is sotke in the imperative form while kaadat is in the indicative mood?

The main clause "Älä sotke keittiötä" is a direct command, so the verb sotke is in the imperative form. In contrast, the subordinate clause "kun kaadat murot kulhoon" provides a condition or time frame for the action and is therefore in the indicative mood. Finnish separates the command from the condition by using different moods in each clause.

Why is the noun keittiötä in the partitive case instead of the nominative?

In Finnish negative commands, especially when referring to objects, it is common to use the partitive case. Keittiötä is the partitive form of keittiö (kitchen), implying an indefinite or incomplete action (i.e., the idea of "messed up" is not realized). This usage follows a standard grammatical rule in Finnish for negative imperatives.

What case does kulhoon represent, and why is it used here?

Kulhoon is in the illative case. The illative indicates movement or direction into something. Here it shows that the murot (cereal flakes) are being poured into a bowl. The illative case is commonly used with verbs of motion to specify a destination.

What is the function of the conjunction kun in this sentence?

Kun means "when" and it introduces a subordinate clause. In this sentence, it sets the context or condition under which the main command applies—specifically, it tells you not to mess up the kitchen when you pour the cereal into the bowl.

Is there a difference between sotkea and verbs like sekoittaa?

Yes. Sotkea typically means "to mess up" or "make a mess," carrying a negative nuance of disorder or untidiness. In contrast, sekoittaa means "to mix" or "stir," usually with the neutral or even positive connotation of blending ingredients. The choice of sotkea here emphasizes avoiding an unwanted mess in the kitchen.