Kauppa avataan aikaisin.

The store is opened early.

Breakdown of Kauppa avataan aikaisin.

• kauppa: the store
• avata: to be opened
• aikaisin: early

Questions & Answers about Kauppa avataan aikaisin.

Why is "avataan" used instead of an active form like "avaa"?

In Finnish, avataan is a passive form of avata (to open). It indicates that the action is done without specifying who is doing it. In English, it often translates to something like is opened. In contrast, avaa would be the active form, meaning he/she/it opens.

What is the role of "Kauppa" in the sentence?

Kauppa (store/shop) here is the subject in the nominative case. Even though the verb is in the passive, Finnish grammar still allows the subject to appear in the nominative case, showing what is being opened.

How does "aikaisin" function in the sentence?

Aikaisin means early. It's an adverb specifying when the store is opened. Adverbs of time in Finnish often come at the end of the sentence, but they can also appear elsewhere. The placement can subtly affect emphasis but not the basic meaning.

Is there any difference between "Kauppa avataan aikaisin" and "Kauppa aukeaa aikaisin"?

Aukeaa is typically used when something opens (by itself), like doors opening or a shop's regular opening time. Avataan focuses on the action of someone opening the store. However, in everyday speech, both can be used to talk about a store opening, though avataan is more obviously passive.

How would the sentence change if we wanted to say "The store was opened early"?

To form the past passive, you use the suffix -tiin. So you would say: Kauppa avattiin aikaisin. This indicates the action took place in the past, meaning The store was opened early.