Log inSign up

Kuvaamme usein taivasta. Revontulet ovat nimittäin upeita.

Kuvaamme usein taivasta. Revontulet ovat nimittäin upeita.
We often film the sky. The northern lights are wonderful, you see.
From Lesson 334:Explaining reasons (nimittäin)·Finnish

Questions & Answers about Kuvaamme usein taivasta. Revontulet ovat nimittäin upeita.

Why is nimittäin placed in the middle of the second sentence?
Unlike English explanatory words like "because," nimittäin (meaning "you see" or "because") cannot start a sentence in Finnish. It is usually delayed and placed after the first word or phrase of the clause. Here, it is tucked in after Revontulet ovat to link the explanation smoothly back to why the sky is being filmed.
Why does the verb kuvata require the partitive form taivasta?
The verb kuvata (to film / to photograph) takes a partitive object because the action is seen as an ongoing, continuous process. You aren't "completing" the sky by filming it, so it takes the partitive ending -ta.
Why is the adjective upeita in the partitive plural?
When you use an adjective to describe a plural noun in a sentence like "The [plural nouns] are [adjective]," Finnish requires that describing word (the predicative adjective) to be in the partitive plural. The word upeita shows the plural marker -i- followed by the partitive ending -ta.
What does revontulet literally mean?
It literally translates to "fox's fires." It is a compound of revon (the genitive form of repo, an old word for fox) and tulet (the plural of tuli, fire). The name comes from an old myth that a magical fox created the northern lights by sweeping snow into the sky with its tail.

Learn Kuvaamme usein taivasta. Revontulet ovat nimittäin upeita and more in Finnish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Finnish →