I wanna say 'for several days (for many days)' but it seems complicated. PLZ help!!

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yuyu04
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2016 12:12 am

I wanna say 'for several days (for many days)' but it seems complicated. PLZ help!!

Post by yuyu04 » Tue Jun 16, 2020 2:34 pm

Sun kannattaisi rauhoittua usemman päivän (O)
useammaksi päiväksi (O)
useampi päivä (O)

Lepää kunnolla useamman päivän (O)
useammaksi päiväksi (x)
useampi päivä (O)

Käyn mun kaverin luona usempana päivänä (O)
useamman päivän (x)
useammäksi päiväksi (x)

Me olemme työskennelleet useamman kuukauden (O)
useammaksi kuukaudeksi (x)
useampana kuukautena (?)

Jopa sen jälkeen kulin useampana päivänä (O)kuten esim. lapset juoksivat
useamman päivän (x)
useammaksi päiväksi (x)

So I don't get it when I should say useamman päivän, useammaksi päiväksi or useampana päivänä.
Sometimes I can have multiple choice but sometimes I can use only usemapana päivänä. So I dont get it.

Could you explain this?



I wanna say 'for several days (for many days)' but it seems complicated. PLZ help!!

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jarikaija
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Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:28 pm
Location: Finland Ylikiiminki
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Re: I wanna say 'for several days (for many days)' but it seems complicated. PLZ help!!

Post by jarikaija » Wed Jun 17, 2020 12:28 pm

yuyu04 wrote:
Tue Jun 16, 2020 2:34 pm

This one have another versions too. Depending meaning:

Sun kannattaisi rauhoittua usemman päivän (O) useamman päivän
useammaksi päiväksi (O) !!!
useampi päivä (O)
useampana päivänä () !!!
useimpina päivinä () !!!

Lepää kunnolla useamman päivän (O)
useammaksi päiväksi (x)
useampi päivä (O) !!!

Käyn mun kaverin luona usempana päivänä (O) useampana päivänä !!!
useamman päivän (x)
useammäksi päiväksi (x)

This one have another versions too. Depending meaning:

Me olemme työskennelleet useamman kuukauden (O) !!!
useammaksi kuukaudeksi (x)
useampana kuukautena (?) !!!
useimpina kuukausina () !!!

Depending meaning, two different answer:

Jopa sen jälkeen kulin useampana päivänä (O)kuten esim. lapset juoksivat !!!
useamman päivän (x) !!!
useammaksi päiväksi (x)

So I don't get it when I should say useamman päivän, useammaksi päiväksi or useampana päivänä.
Sometimes I can have multiple choice but sometimes I can use only usemapana päivänä. So I dont get it.

Could you explain this?
Explain finnish? Lol... For basic finn it is difficult to explain THIS KIND of word... Need fin-language teacher or student who remember everything.
It is inbuild to finns to just know it :lol: Anyway, I put !!! marks for correct answers...

inkku
Posts: 922
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:26 pm

Re: I wanna say 'for several days (for many days)' but it seems complicated. PLZ help!!

Post by inkku » Thu Jun 18, 2020 2:35 pm

ok, I am going to give a try, though it is difficult to explain why..... (sorry...)

first, the expression is useamman päivän ajan, so saying just useamman päivän is not correct.

Sun kannattaisi rauhoittua
useamman päivän ajan means for the duration of more days, is grammatically correct but sounds a bit funny, quite a total action.
useammaksi päiväksi (O) correct. in general to me, useammaksi päiväksi is used with movements or refers to something which is at a distance. thus, for example 'menen sinne useammaksi päiväksi'. menen sinne jouluksi but olin siellä jouluna or olin siellä joulun ajan.
useampi päivä (O) this is not correct here.

Lepää kunnolla
useamman päivän ajan correct for the duration of many (more) days
useampi päivä (O) this is how I would say, I believe because one refers to resting completely, full days.

Käyn mun kaverin luona
usempana päivänä (O) should be useampana päivänä. is correct.
useamman päivän ajan somehow this does not make sense to me since useamman päivän ajan implies for a continuous period
useammäksi päiväksi (x) useammaksi.... not correct because it means for many days... you can go somewhere useammaksi päiväksi but not just käy, short visits.

Me olemme työskennelleet
useamman kuukauden (O) useamman kuukauden ajan correct.
useammaksi kuukaudeksi (x) incorrect
useampana kuukautena (?) alone incorrect. it would be correct if it had an explanation, a purpose, somehow it implies that there was a reason for the action. (for instance ...saadaksemme sen toimimaan,.... tehdäksemme heidät iloisiksi...) or you compare (me olemme työskennelleet nyt useampana kuukautena kuin aiemmin, kuin viime vuonna)

Jopa sen jälkeen kulin (pitäisi olla kuulin = I heard)
useampana päivänä (O)kuten esim. lapset juoksivat correct
useamman päivän (x) useamman päivän ajan correct but this would imply that the children run throughout the day
useammaksi päiväksi (x) incorrect

when I should say
useamman päivän ajan this is more general, implies more continuous action or duration
useammaksi päiväksi to me it implies a target or purpose (moving somewhere, aiming to achieve something)
useampana päivänä. implies a shorter action which occurs during those days or you compare or you talk about the weather (aurinko on paistanut useampana päivänä).

but why would you use comparative (useampi) instead of usea or moni? useampi would mean that you have something to compare, you are adding.
useana päivänä
monena päivänä

so that is my 2c.... not easy to say why....

AldenG
Posts: 3353
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 3:11 am

Re: I wanna say 'for several days (for many days)' but it seems complicated. PLZ help!!

Post by AldenG » Thu Jun 18, 2020 9:09 pm

Where does usea fall on the scale between muutama and moni?

In English, I see little if any difference between several and a few — certainly no difference that is consistent across different speakers. At most, while indicating the same number of days, several could, for some speakers, suggest it's more days than you'd have expected, where a few might suggest fewer than it could have turned out to be. But that's a subtle psychological implication that does not imply any actual difference in number between several days and a few days. Anything over five days certainly exceeds several days in my book. One starts talking instead about a week or two.

If there were in English a noun expression "frequent a day" (x) meaning fewer than "many a day" (perfectly acceptable), that's how I've always read things like useana päivänä and understood various forms of usea generally. Have I misunderstood all these years?

For me, the scale in English runs:

֍ a couple of days (generall 1½, 2, 2½, rarely up to 3)

֍ a few days = several days (2-4, maybe 5? very rarely 6?)

֍ quite a few days = possibly up to 8? 9? 10? Potentially more if used with a certain ironic[?] tone

֍ many days

I've always construed usea as roughly equivalent to quite a few, though in many contexts not as suggestive of a specific numeric range as a couple, a few, or quite a few. Is that incorrect?
As he persisted, I was obliged to tootle him gently at first and then, seeing no improvement, to trumpet him vigorously with my horn.

inkku
Posts: 922
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:26 pm

Re: I wanna say 'for several days (for many days)' but it seems complicated. PLZ help!!

Post by inkku » Thu Jun 18, 2020 9:52 pm

muutama is like 2 or 3 (a couple?),
pari should be 2 (pari päivää) but sometimes people use it for 3 as well
usea is several, I would not use usea for 3 ... but yes, a few.
for 'quite a few', I would use todella moni.

I have not checked the literal meanings though.

"If there were in English a noun expression "frequent a day" (x) meaning fewer than "many a day" (perfectly acceptable), that's how I've always read things like useana päivänä and understood various forms of usea generally. Have I misunderstood all these years?"
I did not get this question. could you give an example of what you mean?

yuyu04
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2016 12:12 am

Re: I wanna say 'for several days (for many days)' but it seems complicated. PLZ help!!

Post by yuyu04 » Wed Jun 24, 2020 8:57 pm

jarikaija wrote:
Wed Jun 17, 2020 12:28 pm
yuyu04 wrote:
Tue Jun 16, 2020 2:34 pm

This one have another versions too. Depending meaning:

Sun kannattaisi rauhoittua usemman päivän (O) useamman päivän
useammaksi päiväksi (O) !!!
useampi päivä (O)
useampana päivänä () !!!
useimpina päivinä () !!!

Lepää kunnolla useamman päivän (O)
useammaksi päiväksi (x)
useampi päivä (O) !!!

Käyn mun kaverin luona usempana päivänä (O) useampana päivänä !!!
useamman päivän (x)
useammäksi päiväksi (x)

This one have another versions too. Depending meaning:

Me olemme työskennelleet useamman kuukauden (O) !!!
useammaksi kuukaudeksi (x)
useampana kuukautena (?) !!!
useimpina kuukausina () !!!

Depending meaning, two different answer:

Jopa sen jälkeen kulin useampana päivänä (O)kuten esim. lapset juoksivat !!!
useamman päivän (x) !!!
useammaksi päiväksi (x)

So I don't get it when I should say useamman päivän, useammaksi päiväksi or useampana päivänä.
Sometimes I can have multiple choice but sometimes I can use only usemapana päivänä. So I dont get it.

Could you explain this?
Explain finnish? Lol... For basic finn it is difficult to explain THIS KIND of word... Need fin-language teacher or student who remember everything.
It is inbuild to finns to just know it :lol: Anyway, I put !!! marks for correct answers...
Thank you for your help :)

yuyu04
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2016 12:12 am

Re: I wanna say 'for several days (for many days)' but it seems complicated. PLZ help!!

Post by yuyu04 » Wed Jun 24, 2020 9:00 pm

inkku wrote:
Thu Jun 18, 2020 2:35 pm
ok, I am going to give a try, though it is difficult to explain why..... (sorry...)

first, the expression is useamman päivän ajan, so saying just useamman päivän is not correct.

Sun kannattaisi rauhoittua
useamman päivän ajan means for the duration of more days, is grammatically correct but sounds a bit funny, quite a total action.
useammaksi päiväksi (O) correct. in general to me, useammaksi päiväksi is used with movements or refers to something which is at a distance. thus, for example 'menen sinne useammaksi päiväksi'. menen sinne jouluksi but olin siellä jouluna or olin siellä joulun ajan.
useampi päivä (O) this is not correct here.

Lepää kunnolla
useamman päivän ajan correct for the duration of many (more) days
useampi päivä (O) this is how I would say, I believe because one refers to resting completely, full days.

Käyn mun kaverin luona
usempana päivänä (O) should be useampana päivänä. is correct.
useamman päivän ajan somehow this does not make sense to me since useamman päivän ajan implies for a continuous period
useammäksi päiväksi (x) useammaksi.... not correct because it means for many days... you can go somewhere useammaksi päiväksi but not just käy, short visits.

Me olemme työskennelleet
useamman kuukauden (O) useamman kuukauden ajan correct.
useammaksi kuukaudeksi (x) incorrect
useampana kuukautena (?) alone incorrect. it would be correct if it had an explanation, a purpose, somehow it implies that there was a reason for the action. (for instance ...saadaksemme sen toimimaan,.... tehdäksemme heidät iloisiksi...) or you compare (me olemme työskennelleet nyt useampana kuukautena kuin aiemmin, kuin viime vuonna)

Jopa sen jälkeen kulin (pitäisi olla kuulin = I heard)
useampana päivänä (O)kuten esim. lapset juoksivat correct
useamman päivän (x) useamman päivän ajan correct but this would imply that the children run throughout the day
useammaksi päiväksi (x) incorrect

when I should say
useamman päivän ajan this is more general, implies more continuous action or duration
useammaksi päiväksi to me it implies a target or purpose (moving somewhere, aiming to achieve something)
useampana päivänä. implies a shorter action which occurs during those days or you compare or you talk about the weather (aurinko on paistanut useampana päivänä).

but why would you use comparative (useampi) instead of usea or moni? useampi would mean that you have something to compare, you are adding.
useana päivänä
monena päivänä

so that is my 2c.... not easy to say why....
This was very helpful for better understanding. Thank you for your detailed explanation. Now I know better than before. Thanks for your kindness. :)


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