no destiny ordained wrote: ↑Tue Dec 06, 2022 12:27 am
Hi, I'm Tam, and I am SO glad this place exists; the new Duolingo format makes my blood boil.
That aside; I'm having trouble understanding when to apply the partitive. The explanation the course gave was that it's for when you have an unknown amount of something, but then it gets used for known amounts? Like 'litra mehua'. That's literally saying how much juice you have right there so why isn't it 'mehu'? And isn't any juice ( or cheese or whatever) an amount of that thing, known or unknown, by definition? So when does the partitive need to be used?
Hi Tam. We do use the partitive case when we are speaking about an unknown amount of something. We also use it when we are speaking about a part of something, thus the name "partitive". I will give you some examples:
(Minä) syön kakun. = I eat a/the cake.
(Minä) syön kakkua. = I eat cake (for example, a piece from the cake).
(Minä) juon litran mehua. = I drink [one] liter of juice.
(Minä) juon sen mehun. = I drink the juice (the whole juice).
(Minä) syön juustoa. = I eat cheese (in general/a part of the whole).
(Minä) syön sen juuston. = I eat the cheese (the whole cheese).
I think we say "litra mehua" only because "litra" requires a partitive case and it's a measure word with a noun relating to food. It's the same with: "kilo(gramma)", "metri", "sentti(metri) etc.
Ostan yhden kilon perunoita. = I buy one kilogram of potatoes.
As a native speaker, it's a bit hard for me to tell the rules. But I know we use it with some verbs: "katsoa (jotakin)", "käyttää (jotakin)" etc.
Minä katson televisiota / tv:tä. = I watch TV.
Käytän rannekelloa. = I use a watch (literally: a wrist clock).
I think the main rule is going to be: if you don't know exactly the correct amount of something, use the partitive case which indicates a part of a whole. This is what I think but cannot say it for sure because we use it even if we have done something (without finishing it = partitive) compared to doing something (and finishing it = accusative).
Juoksin maratonin. = I ran a marathon. (a completed action)
Juoksin maratonia, kunnes ... = I was running a marathon (not a completed action) until ...
This may help you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_n ... number 1: