Breakdown of Katua asfaltoitaessa nopeusrajoitus on todella matala.
olla
to be
katu
street
matala
shallow, low
todella
really (very, intensifier)
Questions & Answers about Katua asfaltoitaessa nopeusrajoitus on todella matala.
How do you form asfaltoitaessa from the basic verb?
The verb is asfaltoida (to pave). To form the passive temporal construction, start with the present passive asfaltoidaan. Remove the final -an and replace it with -essa, giving you asfaltoitaessa (when it is being paved).
In a normal passive sentence, the object is usually nominative (Katu asfaltoidaan). Why is katua in the partitive case here?
This is a special rule for the passive temporal construction. Even though normal passive sentences often take a nominative object, the object of a passive temporal construction must always be in the partitive case.
How would you express this same idea using kun (when)?
You would say Kun katua asfaltoidaan, nopeusrajoitus on todella matala. The temporal construction is just a more compact way of expressing a kun clause with a passive verb.
Why is the speed limit described as matala (low) instead of pieni (small)?
Just like in English, Finnish treats limits and rates on a vertical scale. Therefore, a speed limit (nopeusrajoitus) is described as matala (low) or korkea (high), rather than small or big.