Questions & Answers about Juna seitsemän on tuolla.
Why do we use seitsemän (seven) here instead of the word for seventh?
Just like in English, Finnish often uses the basic number when naming or identifying a specific thing, like a train, bus, or gate. So juna seitsemän exactly means train number seven. If you wanted to say the seventh train, you would use a different word shape.
Could I change the word order and say Seitsemän juna on tuolla?
That would change the meaning completely! If you put the number first, you are counting the trains. You would also have to change the form of the noun to make it Seitsemän junaa on tuolla, which means Seven trains are over there. When the number comes after the noun, it just acts like a name or ID.
What is the difference between tuolla and tuossa?
Both can translate to there, but they describe different distances. Tuossa usually means right there in a specific, relatively close spot. Tuolla means over there in a wider or further away area. Since a train is large and further away on a track, tuolla is the most natural choice here.
Will Finnish speakers actually pronounce the full word seitsemän in real life?
In formal situations, like an official train station announcement, yes. However, in casual spoken Finnish, numbers are often shortened. You will very commonly hear seitsemän shortened to seiska.