The Guardian World 2d ago Original

Mies ammuttiin Kenian mielenosoituksessa.

A man was shot at a protest in Kenya.

Finnish · A1 level

Simple Finnish

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1.

Mielenosoitus oli Nanyukissa.

The protest was in Nanyuki.
2.

Nanyuki on 120 mailia Nairobista.

Nanyuki is 120 miles from Nairobi.
3.

Mielenosoittajat vastustivat Ebola-laitosta.

Protesters opposed an Ebola facility.
4.

Laitos oli tarkoitettu Yhdysvaltain kansalaisille.

The facility was intended for US citizens.
5.

Poliisi käytti kyynelkaasua mielenosoittajia vastaan.

Police used tear gas on protesters.
6.

Mielenosoittajat kantoivat arkkua.

Protesters carried a coffin.
7.

Arkussa luki Ebola.

The coffin had 'Ebola' written on it.
8.

Mies makasi maassa liikkumatta.

The man lay motionless on the ground.

Key Words

Word	English	Form
ampua ammuttiin	to shoot was shot	Passive past tense (impersonal)
mielenosoitus mielenosoituksessa	protest in a protest	Inessive case (location inside)
kantaa kantoivat	to carry carried (they)	Past tense, 3rd person plural
arkku arkkua	coffin a coffin (partitive)	Partitive case (object)
käyttää käytti	to use used (he/she/it)	Past tense, 3rd person singular
maata makasi	to lie (down) lay (he/she)	Past tense, 3rd person singular

0. Mies ammuttiin Kenian mielenosoituksessa.

This sentence uses the Finnish passive past tense ('ammuttiin'). The passive is often used in news reports to focus on the action rather than the doer. In Finnish, the passive past is formed by adding '-tiin' to the verb stem. For example, 'syödä' (to eat) becomes 'syötiin' (was eaten). This structure is common in simple narratives and news headlines.

2. Nanyuki on 120 mailia Nairobista.

This sentence uses the elative case ('Nairobista') to indicate 'from Nairobi.' The elative case answers the question 'mistä?' (from where?). It is formed by adding '-sta/-stä' to the noun stem. For example, 'koulu' (school) becomes 'koulusta' (from school). This case is essential for describing origins or starting points.

5. Poliisi käytti kyynelkaasua mielenosoittajia vastaan.

This sentence uses the partitive case ('kyynelkaasua') for the object of the verb 'käytti' (used). The partitive case is used with verbs that describe an incomplete or ongoing action. It is formed by adding '-a/-ä' or '-ta/-tä' to the noun stem. For example, 'maito' (milk) becomes 'maitoa' (some milk). This case is crucial for expressing partial or indefinite quantities.