Questions & Answers about Nyt sataa taas.
Why is there no word for "it" in this sentence?
In English, we need a "dummy subject" to say "it is raining". Finnish doesn't do this for weather. You just use the verb sataa in the "he/she/it" form all by itself. You should never say se sataa.
How do I know if sataa means "it rains" or "it is raining"?
Finnish doesn't have a separate continuous tense (the "-ing" form) like English does. The single verb form sataa covers both "it rains" in general and "it is raining" right now. The context, like the word nyt (now), tells you it is happening at this exact moment.
Could I change the word order to "Sataa taas nyt"?
Yes, Finnish word order is quite flexible. However, placing a time word like Nyt (now) at the beginning of the sentence is extremely common and sounds very natural when you are pointing out a current situation.
Does the verb sataa only mean "to rain"?
By itself, sataa means it is raining. But in Finnish, this verb is used for anything falling from the sky! For example, to say "it is snowing", you use this same verb plus the word for snow in the partitive case: sataa lunta.
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