Breakdown of Nostan rahaa pankkiautomaatilta.
minä
I
-lta
from
raha
the money
nostaa
to withdraw
pankkiautomaatti
the ATM
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Questions & Answers about Nostan rahaa pankkiautomaatilta.
Why do we say nostan here? What is the infinitive, and how is it conjugated in the present tense for "I"?
The infinitive is nostaa ("to withdraw"/"to lift"). Finnish type 1 verbs like nostaa form the present 1st person singular by replacing -aa with -an, giving nostan = "I withdraw."
Why is rahaa in the partitive case rather than the nominative raha?
The partitive case (rahaa) expresses an indefinite or partial amount—"some money." Using the nominative/accusative raha would imply a specific, complete entity ("the money"), which isn't the typical way to say "withdraw money."
What case is pankkiautomaatilta, and why is it used here?
pankkiautomaatilta is the ablative case (marked by -lta), meaning "from off of" or "off the surface of." It indicates that you're taking money "from the ATM."
I've also seen pankkiautomaatista used. What's the difference between -lta and -sta endings?
Both -lta (ablative) and -sta (elative) can mean "from." -lta often highlights removal from a surface or point, while -sta is more general "out of." In this context, both are acceptable, but pankkiautomaatilta is the more common collocation for withdrawing money.
Can I include the pronoun minä, or is omitting it mandatory?
Finnish verb endings indicate person, so nostan already shows "I." Including minä (Minä nostan rahaa...) is grammatically correct but optional—typically only used for emphasis or contrast.
Why does pankkiautomaatti have a double kk in the middle?
It’s a compound of pankki ("bank") + automaatti ("machine/automated device"). The kk is part of the first word pankki and is retained in the compound.
Could I use the verb ottaa ("to take") instead of nostaa when talking about withdrawing money?
No, although ottaa means "to take," the standard Finnish expression for withdrawing money is nostaa rahaa. Saying otan rahaa pankkiautomaatilta would sound strange and is not used for ATM withdrawals.
How would I say "I withdrew money from the ATM" in the past tense?
Use the imperfect form: nostin rahaa pankkiautomaatilta, where -in marks the 1st person singular past tense: "I withdrew money from the ATM."
How do I specify an exact amount, for example "I withdraw 50 euros"?
You use the partitive with numbers: Nostan viisikymmentä euroa pankkiautomaatilta. Here viisikymmentä is "fifty" and euroa is the partitive of euro.