Questions & Answers about He ovat tuolla.
Can I use he to say "they" when talking about objects, like cars or houses?
No, in standard Finnish he is only used for people. If you want to say "they" for animals or objects, you use the pronoun ne.
Can I drop the word he and just say Ovat tuolla, since the verb already shows who I'm talking about?
In standard Finnish, no. You can drop the pronouns for "I/we" and "you" (minä, me, sinä, te), but you must always include the third-person pronouns hän (he/she) and he (they).
Is tuolla the only word for "there"?
No, Finnish has two common words for "there": tuolla and siellä. You use tuolla to mean "over there," usually for a place you can physically see and point to. You use siellä for a general "there" that is out of sight.
Will I hear Finnish people say He ovat tuolla in everyday conversation?
In casual spoken Finnish, people usually use ne (which normally means "they" for objects) to refer to people too. They also often use the singular verb form on instead of ovat. So in a regular chat, you will likely hear Ne on tuolla instead of the formal He ovat tuolla.
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