Koira makaa lattialla.

the dog

Breakdown of Koira makaa lattialla.

• lattia: the floor
• maata: to lie down

Questions & Answers about Koira makaa lattialla.

Why is there no word for the or a before koira?

Finnish does not use articles like English a/an and the.

So koira can mean:

• a dog
• the dog

The exact meaning depends on context. In a simple sentence like this, English might translate it as either one depending on the situation.

What form is koira here?

Koira is in the nominative singular, which is the basic dictionary form.

Here it is the subject of the sentence: the dog is the one doing the action.

So:

• koira = subject form
• singular = one dog

What does makaa mean exactly?