Neues Konzept
Rule 1: a negative always takes the partitive
Here's a rule with no exceptions: in a negative sentence, the object is always partitive.
| Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|
| Ostan kirjan. — I'll buy the book. | En osta kirjaa. — I won't buy the book. |
| Syön omenan. — I'll eat the apple. | En syö omenaa. — I won't eat the apple. |
| Marcos juo kahvia. | Marcos ei juo kahvia. |
It's the same idea as Minulla ei ole autoa from Unit 5: if something doesn't happen, nothing is completed — so there can't be a “whole” object.
That single rule alone will make you sound more Finnish.