Learn Hardcore Finnish: Nykyään syön puuroa harvemmin iltaisin. - Nowadays I eat porridge less often in the evenings.

Finnish uses the partitive object for an unbounded/indefinite amount and for habitual actions. Syön puuroa = I eat (some) porridge.
Syön puuron uses the total object (a specific, bounded portion): I will eat the porridge (e.g., the bowl that’s there).
Syön puurot would mean I eat the porridges/all the portions.
Bare nominative puuro isn’t used as an object in this context. The habitual feel created by harvemmin and iltaisin also favors the partitive puuroa.

Why iltaisin instead of illalla?

iltaisin means “in the evenings” as a habitual, repeated time (on evenings in general).
illalla refers to one specific evening (“in the evening” today/that day).
Habitual statements like this prefer iltaisin.

What does the -sin ending in iltaisin mean, and how do I make similar words?

What’s the difference between harvoin and harvemmin?

harvoin = rarely (base form).
harvemmin = more rarely/less often (comparative).
With nykyään, harvemmin implies “compared to before.” Superlative exists too: harvimmin = most rarely (infrequent in use).

Can I use vähemmän instead of harvemmin?

They express different ideas:
- harvemmin changes frequency: fewer evenings.
- vähemmän changes amount: smaller portions.
Example: Nykyään syön puuroa harvemmin iltaisin (fewer evenings) vs Nykyään syön puuroa vähemmän iltaisin (smaller amounts per evening).

Where can harvemmin go in the sentence?

Flexible placement; keep it near the verb for a neutral tone:
- Nykyään syön harvemmin puuroa iltaisin.
- Nykyään syön puuroa harvemmin iltaisin. (your version)
- Fronted for emphasis: Harvemmin syön puuroa iltaisin nykyään. (focus on “less often”)

Why is there no pronoun for “I”?

Finnish is pro-drop: person is in the verb ending. syön (-n) = I eat.
Add minä only for emphasis/contrast: Minä nykyään syön… (“I, for my part…”).

Is nykyään necessary? What changes if I remove it?

Without it: Syön puuroa harvemmin iltaisin. Still fine; the comparison (“than before/than usual”) is left to context.
nykyään makes the baseline explicit: “these days (compared to before).”
You can also say harvemmin kuin ennen to spell it out.

What’s the difference between nykyään, nykyisin, nykypäivänä, nyt, and tällä hetkellä?

nykyään / nykyisin: near-synonyms, “these days.” nykyisin can feel a touch more formal; both fit here.
nykypäivänä: “in today’s world/nowadays,” a broader, sometimes opinionated tone.
nyt: “now” (right now).
tällä hetkellä: “at this moment,” not for long-term habits.

How would I say “I will eat the porridge in the evening” (a single, specific portion)?

Illalla syön puuron. Total object puuron marks a bounded, specific event.
Compare: Iltaisin syön puuroa. Habitual, unbounded amount.

Is puuro ever plural? What do puurot and puuroja mean?

puurot (plural nominative/accusative): “the porridges/all the portions/different porridges,” context-dependent and less common in everyday talk.
puuroja (plural partitive): some/many porridges (multiple kinds/servings).
For normal talk about eating porridge: use puuroa (indefinite) or puuron (that specific portion).

Can I front the object for emphasis, like Puuroa syön…?

Yes. Puuroa syön nykyään harvemmin iltaisin topicalizes porridge: “As for porridge, I eat it less often in the evenings,” implying contrast with other foods.

Is iltasin acceptable?

Iltasin is common in colloquial speech. The standard written form is iltaisin. Use iltaisin in formal or careful writing.

How do I say the negative “I don’t eat porridge in the evenings anymore”?