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Questions & Answers about Sukka katosi pesun aikana.
Why is there no article like the or a before sukka?
Finnish has no definite or indefinite articles. You simply use the noun sukka in the nominative to mean both “a sock” and “the sock,” relying on context to tell you which one.
What is the case of sukka and how do we know it’s the subject?
sukka is in the nominative singular. In Finnish the subject of a transitive or intransitive verb normally appears in the nominative (i.e. with no extra case ending) and often precedes the verb in a neutral sentence.
What tense and person is katosi, and which infinitive does it come from?
katosi is the imperfect (past) form, 3rd person singular, of the verb katoaa (to disappear).
How is the imperfect (past) tense formed for a verb like katoaa?
For Type I verbs like katoaa, you take the present stem (kato-), add the past marker -si, and then the personal ending. In 3rd person singular the personal ending is zero, so kato- + si = katosi.
What case is pesun in and why is it used here?
pesun is the genitive singular of pesu (wash). In the construction pesun aikana, the genitive marks “of the wash,” which is then combined with aikana to form “during the wash.”
What case is aikana, and what role does it play in this phrase?
aikana is the essive singular of aika (time). The genitive + essive pattern (pesun aikana) is the standard way in Finnish to say “during [something].”
Could I say sukka katosi pesussa instead of pesun aikana?
Yes. pesussa is the inessive (“in the wash”), focusing on location (“in the machine/detergent”), whereas pesun aikana emphasizes the time period (“during the wash cycle”).
Why not use a participle like pestäessä (“while being washed”)?
You can: Sukka katosi pestäessä means “the sock disappeared while being washed.” That form is the adverbial (gerund) of pestä, and it highlights that the disappearance happened concurrently with the washing action rather than framing it as a time period.
Can I change the word order for emphasis, for example Pesun aikana sukka katosi?
Absolutely. Finnish has relatively free word order. Putting pesun aikana first emphasizes the time (“During the wash, the sock disappeared”), while sukka katosi is a neutral SVO line-up.
How would you express the same idea if there were multiple socks?
You’d use the nominative plural sukat and the imperfect 3rd-person plural katosivat:
Sukat katosivat pesun aikana.
If I really wanted a pronoun for “it,” how would I say “It disappeared during the wash”?
You could say Se katosi pesun aikana. The pronoun se (“it”) is usually unnecessary, since katosi already tells you it’s 3rd person singular, but it can add clarity or emphasis.