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Questions & Answers about Minä katson televisiota.
Why does the word televisio have a -ta at the end?
The verb katsoa (to watch) is a partitive verb. This means the thing you are watching must take the partitive case. To do this, we add the partitive ending -ta to the base word televisio.
Why is the partitive ending -ta here instead of just -a or -ä?
The word televisio ends in two different vowels (i and o). When a word ends in two different vowels, it usually takes the -ta or -tä ending in the partitive case.
Does katson mean 'I watch' or 'I am watching'?
It means both! Finnish does not have a separate continuous form like English does with 'am doing.' You use the exact same verb form, katson, whether you watch TV every day or are watching it right now.
Can I drop the word Minä and just say Katson televisiota?
Yes, you can! Because the verb katson has the personal ending -n, it already means 'I watch.' Native speakers often drop words like Minä (I) and Sinä (you) in everyday conversation.