Ok, so I've been studying Finnish a lot lately (not sure whats inspired me to pick up the text book again after 6months, but whatever). It seems that I can grasp the grammar without too much trouble (so long as I go slow... its a lot to get your head around sometimes). But the vocabulary just isn't happening. No matter how many times I translate songs and things, I always translate them again as I can never remember. Where I've been using this text book, I feel like I'm constantly going back to check what the words mean. Its frustrating. And the words all look the same after a while. I mean Finnish doesnt seem to utilise the wide range of letters on offer, but preferes to use combinations of their favourites - such as K, T, V & L. Not too mention the high proportion of vowels (How are you? translates as Mitä kuuluu? Thats 6 vowels in 10 letters!)
Anyway, whats bugging me right now is why you can say "Kello on viisi minuutia vaille kaksi" (its five minutes to two) but if you take out the 'minuutia' and just say 'its five to two', you then change viisi to viittä?! And why doesn't the same change take place when you say 'five minutes past two - viisi minuutia yli kaksi' and 'five past two - viisi yli kaksi'. I mean, where does this viittä come from? Any Finns care to explain?
Anyway, whats bugging me right now is why you can say "Kello on viisi minuutia vaille kaksi" (its five minutes to two) but if you take out the 'minuutia' and just say 'its five to two', you then change viisi to viittä?! And why doesn't the same change take place when you say 'five minutes past two - viisi minuutia yli kaksi' and 'five past two - viisi yli kaksi'. I mean, where does this viittä come from? Any Finns care to explain?
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