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Lainasin ruuvimeisselin naapurilta, koska oma ruuvimeisseli katosi muutossa.

Lainasin ruuvimeisselin naapurilta, koska oma ruuvimeisseli katosi muutossa.
I borrowed the screwdriver from the neighbor because my own screwdriver disappeared during the move.

Breakdown of Lainasin ruuvimeisselin naapurilta, koska oma ruuvimeisseli katosi muutossa.

minä
I
-ssa
in
koska
because
-lta
from
lainata
to borrow
kadota
to disappear
oma
own
ruuvimeisseli
screwdriver
naapuri
neighbor
muutto
move
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Questions & Answers about Lainasin ruuvimeisselin naapurilta, koska oma ruuvimeisseli katosi muutossa.

Why is ruuvimeisselin ending in -n? Is that genitive or accusative?

In this sentence ruuvimeisselin is the object of lainasin (I borrowed), and with many past-tense, completed actions Finnish marks a total object with the -n form.

  • Formally, ruuvimeisselin looks like the genitive singular.
  • Functionally, in this context it’s the accusative (total object), which for most nouns is identical to the genitive singular.

So: Lainasin ruuvimeisselin = I borrowed the screwdriver (as a complete item/whole).

Why is it naapurilta and not naapurille?

Because of the direction of borrowing.

  • -lta/-ltä (ablative) = from someone/somewhere: naapurilta = from the neighbor
  • -lle (allative) = to someone/somewhere: naapurille = to the neighbor

So:

  • Lainasin ruuvimeisselin naapurilta = I borrowed a screwdriver from the neighbor.
  • Lainasin ruuvimeisselin naapurille would mean you lent it to the neighbor (or “borrowed it for the neighbor” in some contexts), not the intended meaning.
Why does Finnish use lainata here—does it mean “borrow” or “lend”?

Lainata can mean both borrow and lend; the case marking tells you which.

  • lainata + -lta/-ltä (from) → borrow
    lainasin naapurilta = I borrowed from the neighbor
  • lainata + -lle (to) → lend
    lainasin naapurille = I lent to the neighbor

So the meaning is disambiguated by naapurilta vs naapurille.

What tense/person is lainasin?

lainasin is:

  • 1st person singular (I)
  • simple past (Finnish calls it the imperfect)

Breakdown:

  • lainaa- (verb stem)
  • -si- (past marker)
  • -n (1st person singular ending)

So lainasin = I borrowed / I was borrowing (usually “I borrowed” in this kind of sentence).

Why is oma ruuvimeisseli used instead of minun ruuvimeisselini?

oma means one’s own, and Finnish often prefers it when the owner is already obvious from context.

  • oma ruuvimeisseli = my own screwdriver (implied “mine” because the speaker is I)
  • minun ruuvimeisselini is also correct but more explicit/heavier: my screwdriver

Also note: oma emphasizes “my own (as opposed to someone else’s).”

Why is it katosi and not something like kadosin?

Because kadota = to disappear is intransitive: the thing disappears by itself.

  • oma ruuvimeisseli katosi = my screwdriver disappeared
  • katosi is 3rd person singular past (it/he/she disappeared)

kadosin would mean I disappeared (1st person), which doesn’t fit here.

What does muutossa mean exactly, and why that ending?

muutossa is the inessive case: -ssa/-ssä = in / during.

  • muutto = a move / moving (house)
  • muutossa = during the move / in the process of moving

So katosi muutossa means it disappeared while moving (house).

Why is koska used here, and does it affect word order?

koska means because, introducing a reason clause.

Finnish word order is flexible, but a very common structure is:

  • Main clause + comma + koska
    • reason clause

Here:

  • Lainasin ruuvimeisselin naapurilta, (main clause)
  • koska oma ruuvimeisseli katosi muutossa. (reason)

Word order inside the koska clause is neutral: subject (oma ruuvimeisseli) + verb (katosi) + time phrase (muutossa).

Could I swap the clauses: Koska ... , lainasin ...?

Yes. Both are natural:

  • Lainasin ruuvimeisselin naapurilta, koska oma ruuvimeisseli katosi muutossa.
  • Koska oma ruuvimeisseli katosi muutossa, lainasin ruuvimeisselin naapurilta.

Starting with the koska clause often puts more focus on the reason.

Is ruuvimeisseli a common word? Are there alternatives?

ruuvimeisseli is the standard neutral word for screwdriver.

You may also see:

  • meisseli = shorter, more colloquial; can also mean certain chisels depending on context

In careful/general writing, ruuvimeisseli is the safe choice.

Why is there no word for “the/a” in Finnish here? How do I know if it’s “a screwdriver” or “the screwdriver”?

Finnish has no articles, so ruuvimeisselin can correspond to a/the screwdriver depending on context.

Here it’s easy pragmatically:

  • oma ruuvimeisseli suggests the speaker has a specific “own screwdriver”
  • borrowing from a neighbor typically implies a screwdriver (not necessarily a particular known one), but Finnish doesn’t force you to choose

If you want to emphasize “a” vs “the,” you typically do it with context or optional words (like se = that/the in spoken Finnish), not with articles.